Match Group Information, Statistics, Facts and History

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Match Group Inc. History Summary

Match Group is a company which operates more than 45 dating services worldwide. Some of the more popular brands include Match.com, Tinder, Plenty of Fish (POF), OKCupid, Meetic, Twoo, Hinge, and Our Time. Match Group went public on November 19, 2015. Its stock opened at $12 per share and trades on the NASDAQ with the ticker symbol MTCH (as of 2018 share price surpassed $52). The company's majority shareholder (by far) is IAC (InterActiveCorp). Before becoming a separate company in 2014 (an IAC subsidiary), Match Group was 1 of 3 areas of focus (or segments) within IAC which held all of their dating site holdings. This segment has had a number of names (including being called Match) since 1999 when InterActiveCorp first entered the dating industry when it purchased the One & Only Networks and then Match.com. When Match Group became its own company in 2014, across all dating properties they had 30 million active members which included 3.4 million paying subscribers.

IAC itself was established in 1986 as the Silver King Broadcasting Company. At that time they ran local television stations. Over the years the company has changed its name at least 5 times and has diversified into a number of areas with most dealing with media and the internet. As of 2018 IAC owns over 150 brands serving more than 100 countries.

Most of IAC's and now Match Group dating brands are acquisitions. Some have gone on to do very well, while others slowly lost traffic and was closed. IAC/Match Group did try starting a number of different dating service themselves with the most famous being Chemstry.com. Unfortunately most of these did not perform well and were closed (including Stir and Down To Earth). IAC's/Match Group’s major dating acquisitions (or have purchased a majority stake in) include:

IAC

• 1999 - One & Only Network (closed December 2005)
• 1999 - Match.com
• 2009 - People Media for $80 million USD (added 27 additional dating sites)
• 2010 - SinglesNet (in 2013 relaunched as Kiss.com and then closed March 2014)
• 2011 - OkCupid for $50 million USD
• 2012 - DateHookup.com (closed May 2018)

Match Group

• 2014 - Tinder (purchased a controlling stake in)
• 2014 - How About We (now just a doorway site to Match.com)
• 2015 - Plenty of Fish for $575 million USD
• 2018 - Hinge (purchased a controlling stake in)
• 2019 - Hinge (now has 100% ownership)

In 2017 it was reported that Match Group was in talks to acquire Bumble for between $450 and $1 Billion but nothing came of it except legal troubles. Bumble and Match Group ended up suing each other instead in 2018. That was not their only legal trouble this year as some Tinder co-founders and employees have sued Match Group for $2 billion complaining that Match Group undervalued Tinder when it was merged with Match Group in 2017 which affected the value of their stock options.

As of quarter 2 of 2018 Match Group of dating services had 7.7 million subscribers (with 3.8 million coming from Tinder) and had revenue of $407 million.

Match Group Inc. Facts By Year

2019

• General Information
  • Match Group acquires 100% of the dating app Hinge. In June 2018 they had purchased 51% of the app. [3]
  • Match Group announced some changes in key leadership and company structure with its new focus on the Asian market. [5]
  • People Media has merged SeniorPeopleMeet with OurTime. All information has been transfered over. The SeniorPeopleMeet apps have been removed and the website closed. [9]
  • Match Group announced the launch of its new app Pairs Engaged in Japan. This app is a marriage concierge service designed to compete with the country’s popular arranged marriage industry. [12]
• Finances
  • The Match Group of dating services have a total of 8.2 million subscribers by the end of quarter 4 2018. [3]
  • Match Group’s quarter 4, 2018 exceeded revenue expectations caused their stock to rise 5%. [3]
  • Since Tinder’s valuation in 2017, Match Group stock has increased more than 200%. [4]
  • Tinder accounted for nearly half of Match Group’s revenue in 2018. [4]
  • CEO of Match Group hopes that in five years’ time, a quarter of their revenue will come from Asia. [5]
  • Currently, half of Match Group’s revenue comes from outside the U.S. [5]
  • Match Group’s total average subscribers increased 16% to 8.6 million in quarter 1 of 2019, up from 7.4 million a year ago. [6]
  • Match Group said in its Q1 earnings statement that total quarterly revenue grew 14% year over year to $465 million. [6]
  • Match Group revenue rose about 18% to $498 million for quarter 2, 2019, about $10 million higher than forecast. [10]
  • Match Group grew its average subscriber base 40.5% to 5.2 million for quarter 2, 2019. [10]
  • Match Group stock rose 17% based on the good news found in the Quarter 2 financial report. [10]
  • The Egyptian online dating startup Harmonica has been acquired by Match Group for an undisclosed sum. [11]
  • Match Group saw its shares fall 5% on the day Facebook Dating was launched (Sept 5th). [14]
• Legal
  • A Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas denied Bumble's claim that the Match Group patents in question are ineligible for patenting under Section 101 of the Patent Act. [1]
  • Match Group have filed a lawsuit accusing Tinder co-founder and former CEO Sean Rad of stealing company files and other proprietary information. The lawsuit claims at least $250 million in damages. [2]
  • Sean Rad asked the Supreme Court for a motion to dismiss Match Group’s lawsuit, because he claims that his contract gave him the right to back up internal emails even after he left the company. [4]
  • Back in May 2018 Match Group setttled their distpute with Tantan over the similarities to its technology and interface. Tantan agreed to pay Match Group royalties in a settlement. [7]
  • IAC’s motion to dismiss the case of Tinder co-founder Sean Rad’s $2 billion lawsuit was denied by a New York Supreme Court judge. [8]
  • Former Tinder VP of marketing and communications, Rosette Pambakian filed a lawsuit in August, accusing the former CEO of Match Group and Tinder, Gregory Blatt, of harassing and sexually assaulting her at a company holiday party in 2016. [13]
  • The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced it is suing Match Group for using fake notifications to trick users into paying for subscriptions to Match.com. The FTC also alleges that Match Group unfairly exposed consumers to the risk of fraud and engaged in other allegedly deceptive and unfair practices to induce users to subscribe and keep them subscribed to the dating service. [15]
  • IAC is accusing Tinder co-founder Rad of paying millions of dollars to two then-current Tinder employees in exchange for testimony supporting his claims against Match Group. [16]
  • Match Group responds to the FTC regarding the allegations and states that the FTC has misrepresented internal emails and relied on cherry-picked data to make outrageous claims. [17]

References

1. Judge Rules Tinder's Swiping Interface Is Eligible For Patenting
2. IAC Sues Tinder Co-Founder Sean Rad, Seeks $250 Million In Damages
3. Match Group Stock Rises, Fully Acquires Dating App Hinge
4. Tinder Co-Founder Asks Court to Dismiss Match Group Suit
5. Match Group Focuses on Asian Market In Restructure
6. Match Group Stock Awards Payment Could Help Tinder Co-Founder’s Lawsuit
7. Tantan Dating App Removed from Chinese App Store
8. Tinder Co-Founder’s Lawsuit Against IAC Moves Closer To Trial After Motion To Dismiss Is Denied
9. SeniorPeopleMeet Has Been Merged with OurTime
10. Match Group Stock Up 17% Thanks to Tinder
11. Match Group Acquires Egyptian Dating Startup Harmonica
12. Match Group Launches New App in Japan to Compete with Arranged Marriage Industry
13. Fomer Tinder Exec Files New Lawsuit Alleging Sexual Assault By Ex-CEO
14. Facebook Dating Launches in US as Privacy Concerns Loom
15. FTC Sues Match Group For Fraud
16. Tinder’s Latest Legal Entanglements: Trademark Infringement and Alleged Illegal Payoffs
17. Match.com Responds To FTC Lawsuit And Fraud Allegations

2018

• General Information
  • Match Group announced a new app called Ripple for those wanting to network for career opportunities. [1]
  • Match Group said that a new privacy policy will roll out in the next few months to comply with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). [4]
  • DateHookup.com which is owned by Match Group has gone offline in early May. [6]
  • It has been confirmed DateHookup.com has closed. It was suppose to happen on May 9th, 2018. [7]
  • Match Group has launched a new app called Crown which offers a game-like format for online dating. [10]
  • Hinge launches new AI matching feature called "Most Compatible" which uses machine learning. [11]
  • CEO Mandy Ginsberg cites several reasons that Match Group does not have much to worry about regarding Facebook entering the dating market. She mentions demographics, privacy concerns, and advertising strategy. [12]
  • Match Group has decided to embrace the hook-up reputation of Tinder to attract younger users and make Hinge make the anti-Tinder for older users looking fro a more serious relationship. [20]
• Finances
  • After Facebook revealed they are working on a new dating feature for their service shares of Match Group fell as much as 19%. Shares of IAC/InterActiveCorp, (owner of Match Group), also fell 11%. [5]
  • Match Group Releases Q1 2018 Earning Results: [8]
    • Match Group revenue grew 36% (up from 28% in Q4 2017) to $407 million
    • Operating income increased 91% to $112.2 million and Adjusted EBITDA increased 60% to $137.7 million.
    • Tinder Average Subscribers were 3.5 million in Q1 2018 which is an increase of 368,000. Tinder year-over-year revenue growth in the first quarter exceeded 150%.
    • Match Group has raised its full-year financial outlook, which includes total revenue of $1.6 billion to $1.7 billion, up from a previous forecast of $1.5 billion to $1.6 billion
  • Match Group started purchasing shares of Hinge in September of 2017 and as of now (June, 2018) have purchased a 51% stake in the dating app. They have an option to purchase the additional shares within 1 year. [9]
  • 5% of Match Group revenue comes from advertising. [12]
  • Match Group reported quarter 2 earnings of $421 million, exceeding industry analyst expectations. [13]
  • Match Group expects to earn $1.72 billion this year, with Tinder expected to exceed $800 million in revenue. [13]
  • Match Group’s subscribers for all apps total about 7.7 million. [13]
  • Shares of Match Group fell 2.6% immediately after the Tinder lawsuit by current and former employees was announced. [15]
  • Analysts are targeting a price point of $66 for Match Group stock, based mostly on the incredible revenue growth of Tinder. [17]
  • Match Group reported revenue of $444 million in quarter 3 and expects revenue of $1.72 billion for the year. This is an increase of 29% over Q3 in 2017. [19]
  • After release of quarter 3 financial statements, Match Group stock fell 10% due to revenue projections of quarter 4. Higher-than-anticipated spending on marketing for its dating apps was the reason for the decrease. [19]
  • Match Group’s suite of apps have a total of 8.1 million subscribers in quarter 3. [19]
• Legal
  • Match Group is suing Bumble for patent infringement related to their Tinder App. [2]
  • Bumble has filed a $400 million lawsuit against Match Group accusing them of interfering with its business operations. [3]
  • 10 former and current Tinder employees including some co-founders are suing Match Group saying that they purposefully merged Tinder into Match Group in 2017 to avoid valuating Tinder stock separately at later dates when employees would have a chance to exercise their stock options. [14]
  • Match Group is also being investigated by the former attorney General of Louisiana Charles Foti of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC for alleged violations of state or federal law. [15]
  • Bumble has announced it is no longer open to settling privately with Match Group. Bumble have now served Match Group with court papers. [16]
  • Match Group has a motion to dismiss the lawsuit by Tinder employees. They say Sean Rad was part of the evaluation process and shares in the responsibility for the company being undervalued. [18]

References

1. Match Group Launches New App to Compete with LinkedIn
2. Tinder's Parent Company Match Group Is Suing Bumble For Patent Infringement
3. Bumble Suing Match Group for $400 Million
4. Privacy Fears Renew After Deleted Match.com Profiles Mysteriously Reappear
5. Facebook Is Finally Getting Into The Online Dating Game
6. Has DateHookup.com Closed?
7. Confirmed DateHookup has Discontinued Services
8. Match Group Releases Impressive Q1 2018 Earning Results
9. Match Group Buys Rival Dating App Hinge
10. Match Group Launches Crown, a New Game-Like Dating App
11. Hinge Using AI to Give You Better Matches
12. Match Group CEO Speaks Out On Competition From Bumble And Facebook
13. Match Group Sees $421 Million in Revenue for Q2
14. Tinder Employees Sue Match Group for $2 Billion
15. Tinder Co-Founder Claims in Lawsuit He Was Forced to Sell His Company Shares
16. Bumble Moves Forward With Match Group Countersuit, Sets Sights On IPO
17. Analysts Project Online Dating Industry Worth $12 billion by 2020
18. Match Group Disputes Claim It Intentionally Undervalued Tinder
19. Match Group Stock Falls Despite Tinder Revenue Growth
20. Match Group Aims to Diversify Their Apps by Embracing Both Hookups and Relationships

2017

• Finances
  • For quarter 4 2016 the Match Group gross revenue was $295 million. This is a 22% increase over quarter 4 of 2015. [1]
  • For the full year 2016, Match reported revenue of $1.22 billion, up 15%. Match has a market capitalization of $5.1 billion. [2]
  • It was reported Match Group made an offer to buy the Bumble dating app for $450 million. [3]
  • Match Group stock has jumped more than 50% since the beginning of the year. [4]
  • Match Group has $500 million in cash and a market cap of under $8 billion. [6]
  • It is rumored that Match Group is still in talks with Bumble to acquire the service for $1 Billion. [6]
• Members
  • Match Group’s market share is estimated to be 25.7%. No other competitor comes close to Match Group of sites (which includes Match, Tinder, POF, OkCupid, etc..). [5]
  • Match Group has 74% of the total unique monthly visitors to the top six online dating websites. [5]

References

1. Match Group Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2016 Results
2. Match Group Banks On Tinder To Lead It Into The Future
3. Match Group Makes an Offer to Acquire Bumble
4. Match Investors Anticipate Company’s Plans Beyond Tinder
5. Why Match Group Remains A Market Leader In A Volatile Industry
6. Will Match Group Acquire Bumble for One Billion?

2016

• Finances
  • Total revenue for Q4 2015 was $268 million. This is up 15% compared to the same time period in 2014. Net income for the quarter was $35.6 million, a 26% decrease from Q4 in 2014. [1]
  • Total revenue for Q1 2016 was $285 million. This rose 21% compared to Q1, 2015. Dating revenue grew 24% thanks to Tinder and Plenty of Fish. [2]

References

1. Match Group Releases Q4 2015 Financial Results
2. Match Group Reports Strong Q1 2016 Financial Results

2015

• Members
  • The average age of men who join during the busy season is 35. [5]
  • During the busy season this year Match saw an increase of certain groups joining. Some of these groups include Single Parents (up 45%), Singles who work in Education (up 46%), Curvy Single Women (up 50%), and Singles Quitting Smoking (up 45%). [5]
  • The biggest user group at Match.com is the age range of 25-44. [7]
  • Members sent more than 415 million emails last year. [7]
  • The Match Group (all of IAC's dating sites) claims to have 59 million users which 4.7 million pay for the dating service. [6]
• Finances
  • Revenue for the fourth quarter of 2014 for The Match Group increased 15%. [1]
  • Globally the Match Group had 3.5 million subscribers for the year 2014. This is a 4% increase over 2013. [1]
  • Match.com, Tinder, POF, OkCupid, etc.. is part of a IAC subsidiary called The Match Group. The Match Group plans to file for an IPO soon. [2]
  • Match Group purchases POF.com for $575 million. [3]
  • The Match Group plans to issue only about 20% of common stock for its IPO which should happen in the fourth quarter of 2015. [4]
  • Revenue for the second quarter of 2015 for The Match Group increased 19%. [5]
  • The number of paid subscribers for the combined services of the Match Group grew 18% to 4.1 million in the second quarter of 2015. [5]
  • Match Group filed for an IPO of common stock with U.S. regulators on October 16 with an offering amount of $100 million. Their ticker symbol will be "MTCH" on NASDAQ. [6]
  • In quarter 3 the Match Group revenue increased 19%, or 25% excluding the effects of foreign exchange, to $274.2 million. [7]
  • By December the PlentyOfFish (POF) acquisition will be completed. [7]
  • After acquiring POF, the Match Group portfolio of dating services now has over 59 million monthly active users and 4.7 million paying users. [7]

References

1. IAC Reports Q4 2014 Results
2. Tinder, Match and OkCupid to launch IPO
3. Match.com Acquires Plenty of Fish (POF) for $575 Million
4. Tinder, Match, and OkCupid Prepare For IPO
5. IAC Reports Better-Than-Expected Q2 2015 Results
6. Match Group, Parent Of OkCupid And Tinder, Files For IPO
7. IAC Releases Q3 2015 Financial Results And More IPO Details

2014

• General Information
  • IAC plans to spin it's dating site holdings into a separate company called Match Group in 2014. [1]
  • The group of sites owned by IAC (Match.com, OkCupid, How About We, ...) have 30 million active members which 3.4 million are paying subscribers. [6]
• Finances
  • Quarter 4 revenue from 2013 is $203.9 million. [2]
  • IAC/InterActiveCorp bought back 10% of mobile dating service Tinder. [3]
  • Quarter 1 revenue from 2014 is $740.2 million. [4]
  • IAC has purchased the How About We dating service (not the couples portion). [5]
  • Quarter 2, 2014 revenue grew 8% and subscribers grew 10% to 3.5 million (world wide). [6]
  • The Match Group revenue increased 12%, driven by 9% growth in paid subscribers to its dating websites. [7]

References

1. Big Changes Are Ahead For Match.com
2. IAC/InterActiveCorp Releases Fourth Quarter 2014 Financials
3. Is Tinder Worth $5B? IAC Says No
4. IAC Reports Q1 2014 Results
5. Dating Giant IAC Buys How About We
6. IAC Continues To Make Big Moves In The Online Dating World
7. IAC Reports Q3 2014 Results

2012

• General Information
  • IAC acquires DateHookup.com. [1]
  • Co-founder of OkCupid, Sam Yagan is named CEO of IACs Match segment. [2]
  • IAC released a statement saying that they are not interested in purchasing Cupid plc which is based in Europe. [3]

References

1. DateHookup.com Purchased by Match.com Owners
2. Co-Founder and CEO of OkCupid Named CEO of Match
3. Match.com Not Interested in Cupid

2011

• General Information
  • Match.com acquires OKCupid.com for $50 million. [1]
  • IAC launches a new dating service called OurTime.com which is designed for singles 50-plus. [4]
• Finances
  • Quarter 4 revenue from 2010 is $108.3 million. [2]
  • Quarter 1 revenue from 2011 is $111.6 million. [3]
• Members
  • In Q4 2010, IAC dating sites had 1,789,000 paying subscribers. [2]
  • In Q1 2011, IAC dating sites had 1,924,000 paying subscribers. [3]

References

1. Match.com Acquires OKCupid for $50 Million
2. Match.com Fourth Quarter 2010 Financials
3. Match.com First Quarter 2011 Financials
4. OurTime.com for Singles 50-Plus

2010

• General Information
  • Match.com press release informs us that IAC will be acquiring Singlesnet.com. [2]
  • On Match.com Australia over 80,000 profiles are viewed everyday and over 16,000 communication messages get sent (= 6.5 million a year). [12]
• Finances
  • Quarter 4 revenue from 2009 is $83.3 million. [1]
  • Quarter 1 revenue from 2010 is $89.3 million. [3]
  • Quarter 2 revenue from 2010 is $97 million. [4]
  • Quarter 3 revenue from 2010 is $106 million for IACs Match segment. [5]
• Members
  • In Q4 2009, IAC dating sites had 1,377,000 paying subscribers. [1]
  • In Q1 2010, IAC dating sites had 1,585,000 paying subscribers. [3]
  • 67% of Australian singles on Match.com have never been married. 59% are looking for a non-smoker and 90% are okay with someone who drinks. [12]
  • In Q2 2010, IAC dating sites had 1,716,000 paying subscribers. [4]
  • In Q3 2010, IAC dating sites had 1,813,000 paying subscribers. [5]

References

1. Match.com Fourth Quarter 2009 Financials
2. Match.com will Acquire Singlesnet
3. Match.com First Quarter 2010 Financials
4. Match.com Second Quarter 2010 Financials
5. Match.com Third Quarter 2010 Financials

2009

• General Information
  • Launch a free dating service called DownToEarth.com which targets college aged singles. [1]
  • Barry Diller, CEO of IAC (parent company of Match.com) says they are in talks to possibly buy Yahoo! Personals. [5]
  • IAC agrees to buy People Media for $80 million. This will add 27 additional dating sites and more than 255 thousand paying subscribers to IAC's network of dating sites. [7]
  • DownToEarth.com is relaunched as Stir.com, becoming a social networking club scene website. [10]
• Members
  • In Q1 IAC datingg services had 1,438,000 paying subscribers. [3]
  • In Q2 IAC datingg services had 1,156,000 paying subscribers. [9]
  • We estimate that Match.com European Operation had 291,000 paid subscribers in quarter 2 2009. [9]
  • Q3 paying subscription numbers are at 1,403 million members. [11]
• Finances
  • Sold 100% of European Operations to Meetic. [2]
    • For the deal IAC received a 27 percent share in Meetic and a 5 million euro note. Additional terms have not been released.
    • Match.com will go from having operations in 40 countries down to 24.
    • Match.com has the option to buy Meetic in about three years. [4]
    • IAC completes the transaction with Meetic on June 5th, 2009. [6]
  • Quarter 1 revenue is $90.1 million. [3]
  • IAC completes purchase of People Media for a total of $72 million USD. [8]
  • Quarter 2 revenue is $88.3 million. [9]
  • It appears that about 13% of Match.com's revenue came from their European Operations. [9]
  • Quarter 3 revenue is $81 million, a 13% drop due to the sale of Match Europe. [11]

References

1. DownToEarth.com Targets College Aged Singles
2. Match.com Sells EU Business to Meetic
3. Match.com First Quarter 2009 Financials
4. Consolidation in the UK Dating World
5. Owner of Match.com in Talks to Buy Yahoo Personals
6. IAC Completes Transaction with Meetic
7. Match.com (IAC) Agrees to Buy People Media
8. American Capital completes sale of People Media to Match.com
9. Match.com Second Quarter 2009 Financials
10. DownToEarth.com Becomes Stir.com
11. Match.com Third Quarter 2009 Financials

2008

• Members
  • Number of paying members for quarter 2 of 2008 is 1,326,500. This is a 1 percent increase from Q2, 2007. [1]
    • Remember this is total number of paid members during a 3 month period. This isn't a total number of paid members at any one time. An unknown percentage of these paid members would have bought only a 1 month subscription.
  • In Q3 IAC dating sites had 1,342,100 paying subscribers. [2]
  • In Q4 IAC dating sites had 1,347,300 paying subscribers. [3]
• Finances
  • Quarter 4 revenue is $88.1 million. [3]
  • Quarter 3 revenue is $93.5 million. [2]
  • Quarter 2 revenue is $93.3 million. [4]
  • Quarter 1 revenue is $90.5 million. [5]

References

1. InterActiveCorp Q2 Results Press Release
2. Match.com Third Quarter 2008 Financials
3. Match.com Fourth Quarter 2008 Financials
4. How Much did Dating Sites Spend on Ads in 2007?
5. InterActiveCorp Press Release

2007

• Finances
  • Revenue for the year is $349 million with 78 million in profit. [1]
  • 30% of revenue came from overseas. [2]
  • Quarter 1 revenue is $82.4 million. [3]
  • A total of $145.5 million spent on Advertising in 2007. [4]
  • Match.com International saw a pre-tax profit of £3.67m ($5.6 million US) in the year to December 31 2007. [5]
• Members
  • 1.35 million paying subscribers. [2]
  • Only a 1% increase in subscribers over 2006. [2]
  • Number of paying members for quarter 2 of 2007 is 1,312,800. [6]

References

1. Times Online UK
2. Dallas News
3. InterActiveCorp Press Release
4. How Much did Dating Sites Spend on Ads in 2007?
5. European Dating Sites See Membership Increase in Recession
6. InterActiveCorp Q2 Results Press Release

2006

• Finances
  • Revenue for 2006 listed at $311.2 million. [1]
  • Match.com International saw a loss of £2.19m ($3.4 million US). [2]
• Members
  • 25% increase in subscribers over 2005. [3]

References

1. Hoovers
2. European Dating Sites See Membership Increase in Recession
3. Dallas News

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