Pop the Balloon Creators Launch Dating App Inspired by Viral Show

Entertainment News

Published by Stephen Oluwadara at March 13, 2026

From Viral Sensation to Cultural Phenomenon

The viral dating show “Pop the Balloon or Find Love” has captured audiences on YouTube and TikTok. It grew into a cultural phenomenon since Arlette Amuli posted the first episode on YouTube on December 7, 2023.

The show’s unique format, in which singles face potential matches and receive interest or rejection through a balloon pop, has sparked hilarious, awkward, and heartwarming reactions.

As a natural progression and in response to their audience, the couple is evolving the idea from content creation into tech. Amuli and her husband, Bolia Matundu, hosted a gala outside of Phoenix to celebrate the latest evolution of their matchmaking experiment: a dating app called Luv or Pop.

The Luv or Pop app will turn the show’s format into an interactive dating experience. Rather than swiping left or right, users will collect balloons for people they’re interested in and pop balloons for those they’re not. The platform mirrors the show’s signature structure while encouraging more direct choices.

A key feature on the app is Match Lock, which pauses conversations with other matches once two people decide to focus on each other, according to AfroTech. Amuli said the feature reflects an emphasis on intentional dating.

“The main keyword we want people to remember when they hop onto Luv or Pop is ‘intentional,’” she said. “If you’re choosing somebody and saying, ‘I really like our conversations, let’s lock in and see where this goes,’ that shows how serious you are.”

Amuli and Matundi noted that they worked with programmers to ensure the app includes identity verification before users create profiles. “We want this to be for real people finding real people,” Matundi said.

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Virtual Strangers to Active Participants

This is not the first time the co-creators have tried something outside the show. In 2025, the couple expanded the concept when Netflix launched a live adaptation of Pop the Balloon, with Amuli and Matundu serving as executive producers and comedienne Yvonne Orji hosting the show. The transition underscored both the show’s reach and the challenge of scaling a format built on intimacy.

Now they face a similar test with Luv or Pop: translating a community built around watching strangers date into one that’s actively participating. The co-creators hope the launch of Luv or Pop will mark the beginning of a new chapter as the couple expands their efforts from viral content creation to tech entrepreneurship.

“As a creator, it’s very important to have your own [platform],” he said. “The platforms we post on are not ours, so we wanted to build something where people can engage on our own platform.”

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Aiming to Be the Number One Dating App

With nearly 1.5 million YouTube subscribers and between one and two million views per episode on the couple’s channel, the husband-and-wife duo believes their audience can help grow the platform quickly and that this goal is not far off. “In five years, I want Luv or Pop to be the number one dating app people think of,” Amuli said.

The creators say celebrating Black relationships has always been central to the show, and that focus is intentional. However, Luv or Pop is open to users of all backgrounds. “We worked so hard to raise Black love on our show,” Matundi explained. “When people started saying ‘Black excellence’ and supporting us, we realized we were making a difference.”

Amuli added, “We wanted to showcase that Black people still love Black people. Our success stories are proving that there is still hope for the Black community in finding Black love.”

Arlette Amuli / BM: Image Credit: UrbanGeekz