Profits and Match.com

Operating profits for what’s considered the biggest online dating site in the UK went down to £1.6m. With regards to turnover, it was down over 10% at £38.2m. It is believed that dating apps like Tinder have fundamentally changed the nature of dating on the Internet. According to analyst Mark Brooks of Courtland Brooks, “The industry is in a bit of a crusher.”

He stated that the “mobile medium” has come of age and over 70% of singles who use the Internet to find dates in the UK are simply doing so on their smartphones. The transition, he went on, is amazing and has shaken the entire industry at its foundations. If Match.com suffers, according to him, then the same may be said of their competitors.

A Pioneer in Online Dating

Posting a profile on the dating site -which was actually one of the first pioneers in the industry during the mid-90s- is totally free. For those who want to contact other members, though, it is necessary to pay a subscription. Brooks said, “Smartphone growth is an opportunity more than a challenge. “Laggard dating companies that have not created compelling mobile experiences are dying. Most old school incumbents have stumbled in this respect.”

The research firm Mintel predicts that in spite of the UK online dating industry’s current upheaval, it will still grow from £165m to £225m by 2019. Mintel analyst Rebecca McGrath said that dating apps were the ones who have made the largest impact in online dating in the last couple of years. They have opened up a new market, she said, and therefore have helped to drive mobile usage.