Enthusiasm for Porn Found Lacking in Investors

By Thomas Francis Tue., Jan. 26 2010 at 11:44 AM

Categories: Business, Palm Beach

Flickr: Reans

Aren't investors supposed to be ruthless believers in the shallowness and depravity of the human race? That seems to be the bet that FriendFinder Networks was making when the Boca Raton-based website promoter decided to stage an initial public offering. The pitch: This could feed the human sex drive in the same way that Facebook feeds human vanity. It already has a million subscribers.

Yet investment analysts are lukewarm about the company's chances. It's not just that they think investors are bashful about investing in porn; they say there's skepticism over whether the company, which changed its name from Penthouse Media Group in 2007, has made enough progress building profit in the the years since a bankruptcy filing.

The company's most successful site is AdultFriendFinder.com (NSFW), a one-stop shop for porn, swingers and fetishists, but it offers a wide range of social networking sites, including -- ironically enough -- BigChurch.com, which seeks to connect people through faith in God.

So whether you're looking for salvation or you're looking to sin, FriendFinder has you covered.