- U.S. dating services market worth 2.14bn in 2012 (at $1.33 billion, the dating websites captured 53% of total revenues; leaders include IAC’s Match.com with $480 million, eHarmony with $270 million, and FriendFinder Networks with $233 million)
- forecast to grow 4.7% per year to $2.54 billion by 2015
- 100+ million singles used the services
- 3.924 companies / 7.939 employees in the industry (by 2015)
- 1,800+ independent matchmakers operate in the US (grossing about $200,000/year each)
- approximately 250 physical offices run by “off-line” dating service chains or franchises and speed dating firms (eLove, 56 offices; It’s Just Lunch, 150; Great Expectations, 32)
- matchmakers: $293 million market, expected to grow 6-7% per year to $352 million
- phone chat lines for singles: $350 million segment dominated by Teligence and Quest Personals
(sources: IBIS, MarketData)
The percentage of Americans who met their partners online as a function of the year they met. Source: a study by Michael Rosenfeld from Stanford University and Reuben Thomas from City College of New York (based on a nationally representative sample of 3,009 partnered respondents)
Mobile Dating
- Currently, the US mobile dating industry is worth an estimated $212.6 million in revenue
- Over the three years to 2012, revenue from mobile dating has grown at an estimated average annual rate of 70.3%
- In 2012, the US mobile dating industry is projected to grow 29.0%
Mobile dating market
Year Revenue ($) Growth
2009 43.0 million
2010 108.9 million 153.0%
2011 164.8 million 51.3%
2012 212.6 million 29.0%
Forecast for the mobile dating market
- Over the next five years to 2017, revenue for the US mobile dating market is expected to nearly double
- From 2012 - 2017, revenue is projected to rise at an average annual rate of 14.3% to $415.3 million
Mobile dating rankings (source: Comscore; Nov '12)