 |
| Match Group plans to apply Hinge's strategies to improve Tinder's performance. Koshiro K/Shutterstock |
At a time when the online dating market is cooling, one app is bucking the trend: Hinge is thriving.
During Match Group's earnings call on Tuesday, CEO Spencer Rascoff singled out Hinge as a standout success within the company’s portfolio, which includes both Hinge and Tinder.
“Simply put, Hinge is crushing it,” Rascoff said. “Its performance shows that online dating isn’t fading at least not when the product is focused and the team is aligned.”
Match Group’s Chief Financial Officer Steven Bailey reported that Hinge pulled in $168 million in revenue during the second quarter a 25% jump from the same quarter last year.
The app’s paying user base also grew by 18% year over year, reaching 1.7 million. Meanwhile, average revenue per paying user increased by 6% to nearly $32.
Rascoff said Hinge’s winning approach is now being used to revamp Tinder, which has seen less encouraging numbers. Though exact figures for Tinder were limited, Match said revenue for the app dropped 4% to $461 million during the same period.
“Hinge’s momentum makes me proud of what they’ve built and optimistic about Tinder’s potential,” Rascoff said. “At Hinge, everything aligns with one clear goal: helping users go on more meaningful dates.”
The CEO credited Hinge’s growth to its emphasis on “intentionality” in user experiences and its use of AI to generate thoughtful responses that foster stronger first impressions.
Rethinking the 'Numbers Game'
Back in March, shortly after taking over as CEO, Rascoff acknowledged in a company-wide memo that users were frustrated by how transactional and metrics-driven dating apps had become.
“Too often, our apps have felt like a numbers game rather than a place to build real connections,” Rascoff wrote. “That has to change.”
While he acknowledged hearing heartwarming success stories, he also said many users expressed disillusionment and disappointment when it came to finding genuine, lasting connections through dating apps.
Rascoff’s broader effort to reorient Tinder and Hinge around deeper engagement comes amid growing consumer fatigue with swipe-based dating and rising costs associated with going on dates trends that have pushed many singles away from apps and back toward more organic, in-person meeting opportunities.
Tinder’s Decline Mirrors Industry-Wide Struggles
According to a recent report by UK-based media regulator Ofcom, Tinder lost over 500,000 users between May 2023 and the end of 2024 highlighting the platform’s declining appeal.
That drop-off is also reflected in the bottom lines of other major dating platforms.
Bumble, a key competitor, reported a 6.5% decline in first-quarter revenue this year, bringing in $201.8 million. The company is expected to release its second-quarter earnings on Wednesday, August 6.
As for Match Group, the company reported second-quarter revenue of $864 million unchanged from the same period last year. Operating profit dropped 5% to $194 million.
Despite the flat performance, investors responded positively to the earnings call, with Match’s stock climbing nearly 7% in after-hours trading Tuesday. Still, the company’s shares remain down 5.5% over the past 12 months.
