Match Group is the parent company of several popular dating apps, including Tinder, OkCupid, Plenty of Fish, and Hinge. Last week, The League was added to Match Group’s dating app roster.
Singles in Dallas may recall that the city was one of only 10 within the U.S. in 2017 to receive access to The League when it first launched. The tech company held an in-person party for local Dallas singles to attend and learn what the app had to offer.
The League was the self-dubbed “premiere dating app to end all dating apps” and the “Tinder for elites.” Unlike Tinder, The League was not a free-for-all dating app. Prospective members had to request to join and were often placed on a waiting list for an indefinite period of time. This was part of an effort to only let in the best of the dating pool.
“The media has slammed The League for our ‘exclusive’ model and labeled us an elitist app for trust fund kids and Ivy League grads. These stereotypes make my blood boil and couldn’t be more wrong,” founder and CEO Amanda Bradford stated when the app first launched.
Match Group CEO Bernard Kim backed up the value of his company’s new acquisition in an email to TechCrunch, “The League [is] a premium, niche dating app with a curated member base focused on matching career-oriented users looking for a serious relationship.”
The League has adapted over time and can now be used free or via paid subscription, the latter of which gets users more matches.
Match Group has not yet stated if it intends to change the way The League operates. Tinder continues to come in as the most-used dating app for its ease of use and instant connections.
Data shows that Tinder, Hinge, OK Cupid, and Plenty of Fish make up over 50% of the total used dating apps combined in the U.S., giving Match Group a prominent hold on the market. Revenue from dating apps has climbed exponentially over the last five years and continues to move in that direction.
Roughly 36% of Dallas households are self-identified as single, coming in above the national average.
