Match Seeks IPO: Will There Be a Love Connection?

Match Group, the parent company for popular dating app Tinder, filed its IPO paperwork with the SEC last week. According to Match’s prospectus summary,

Match Group, the parent company for popular dating app Tinder, filed its IPO paperwork with the SEC last week. According to Match’s prospectus summary, Match owns 45 different brands, each designed to connect potential romantic partners. Since January 2009, Match has invested $1.284 billion to acquire 25 new brands including OKCupid, Meetic, Twoo and PlentyofFish.

Match Seeks IPO: Will There Be a Love Connection?

Match’s self-described dating products are available in 38 languages in 190 countries, and the sites have approximately 59 million active users each month and 4.7 million paid members.Match will list on the NASDAQ using MTCH as its ticker symbol.In addition to appealing to a wide range of consumer preferences through its diverse portfolio, Match cites its accessibility to mobile users as one of its strengths, broadening its reach to millennials and increasing its product usage. Its revenue has increased significantly year over year from 2012 to 2014.

Year Revenue Net Earnings
2012 $713.4 million $90.3 million
2013 $803.1 million $126.6 million
2014 $888.3 million $148.4 million

 In the prospectus, Match says all of its dating revenue comes directly from users:

“The significant majority of that revenue comes from recurring membership fees, which typically provide unlimited access to a bundle of features for a specific period of time, and the balance from à la carte features, where users pay a fee for a specific action or event. Each of our brands offers a combination of free and paid features targeted to its unique community. On a brand-by-brand basis, our monetization decisions seek to optimize user growth, revenue and the vibrancy and productivity of the relevant community of users. In addition to direct revenue from our users, we generate revenue from online advertisers who pay to reach our large audiences.”

24/7 Wall Street says that Match is valued at $100 million. The company plans to use the net proceeds of the IPO to pay down its considerable debt and to use for “general corporate purposes.”The downside? Match Group is a wholly owned subsidiary of IAC/Interactive Corp., says Market Watch. IAC will own all Class B common stock shares, giving it superior voting power and a significant say in company operations.According to the prospectus, “this voting control will limit the ability of other stockholders to influence corporate matters and, as a result, we may take actions that stockholders other than IAC do not view as beneficial.”Insider Take:Match announced its plan for an IPO in June 2015, so no one on Wall Street is surprised by the prospectus. Considering Match’s financials, the company is in a good position to continue its growth. It has shown that it can be successful transitioning to a more mobile product, and it has a good revenue model with both free and paid features that seems to be working.We’ll be interested to see if investors agree with the $100 million valuation, and if IAC’s ownership stake will have an impact on the willingness of investors to make a love connection.~ Dana E. Neuts, Subscription Insider  

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