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Match Group, Inc.: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 4 August 2026: press release, prepared remarks. Guidance figures: 1 raised, 2 lowered, 7 new, 1 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue down 1%, Adjusted EBITDA up 14%: Total revenue was $853 million, down 1% Y/Y and down 2% excluding FX. Adjusted EBITDA rose 14% to $331 million, a 39% margin. Source
  • Hinge revenue up 22%: Hinge Direct Revenue was $204 million, up 22% (20% excluding FX). Payers rose 17% to 2.0 million, RPP rose 4% to $33.11, and Adjusted EBITDA was $79 million at a 39% margin. Source
  • Tinder DAU down 4%: DAU declined 4% Y/Y in Q2, against roughly 10% a year earlier, and global user retention rose 1%. In July, DAU was down nearly 2.5% Y/Y. Source
  • MAU decline narrowed to 7%: MAU fell 7% Y/Y in Q2, against 8% in Q1. Women's MAU fell 8% against 11% in Q1, and US declines slowed about 2.5 points. Source
  • Hinge revenue up 86% in Europe: Hinge entered six new European countries in Q2 and kept the number one downloaded position across its European expansion markets in aggregate. Source
  • Cost of revenue fell on payment savings: Cost of revenue fell 16% and was 24% of revenue, down four points, mainly from alternative payment savings. Source
  • RPP up 6% as payers fall: Revenue per payer rose 6% to $21.13 while payers fell 6% Y/Y. Source
  • Buybacks and dividends returned cash: Repurchases and dividends used 81% of free cash flow with $92 million for employee award settlement. July buybacks added $16 million, leaving $697 million of authorization. Source

“Tinder finally looks and feels like the app young daters want to use.”

CEO Spencer Rascoff

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Total revenue SourceQ3 2026$885 to $895 millionNew
Adjusted EBITDA SourceQ3 2026$330 to $335 millionNew
Adjusted EBITDA margin SourceQ3 202637%New
Net income attributable to shareholders SourceQ3 2026$175 to $180 millionNew
Total revenue excluding FX SourceQ3 2026down 1% to 2% Y/YNew
Indirect revenue SourceQ3 2026approximately $15 millionNew
Tinder test and product-change impact SourceQ3 2026$10 million negativeNew
Adjusted EBITDA margin SourceFY 2026exceed 37.5%
Stock-based compensation expense SourceFY 2026$230 million to $240 millionLowered
Tinder Direct Revenue SourceFY 2026decline in the low-single-digit percentsRaised
Tinder test and product-change impact SourceFY 2026$30 million to $40 million negativeLowered from $60 million
E&E Adjusted EBITDA margin SourceFY 2026high 20%s
Hinge revenue Source2027$1 billionKept

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: Q3 2026 guidance given for the first time, covering total revenue and Adjusted EBITDA. Source
  • Guidance raised: Full-year Tinder Direct Revenue decline now expected to be smaller than February guidance. Source
  • Guidance lowered: Full-year E&E Direct Revenue decline now expected to be mid-teens, versus low double-digits in February. Source
  • Guidance kept: Full-year Indirect Revenue decline in the mid-teens percent is maintained. Source
  • Guidance kept: Hinge $1 billion revenue target for 2027 is maintained. Source
  • New: Tinder Events, a new in-app feature for local activities, launched and expanded. Source
  • New: Tinder completed a full rebrand, now live globally. Source
  • New: Management completed a review of E&E and set brand-level priorities. Source
  • New: Hinge launched Friend's Take in mid-July. Source

Quarter results and growth drivers

  • Revenue down 1%, Adjusted EBITDA up 14%: Total revenue was $853 million, down 1% Y/Y and down 2% excluding FX. Adjusted EBITDA rose 14% to $331 million, a 39% margin. Source
  • Net income up 36%: Net income was $171 million, up 36% Y/Y, a 20% net income margin. Source
  • Diluted EPS rose to $0.70: Diluted EPS was $0.70 for the quarter against $0.49 a year earlier; six-month diluted EPS was $1.37 against $0.93. Source

Segments: Tinder, Hinge and E&E

  • Tinder revenue down 1%: Tinder Direct Revenue was $457 million. Payers fell 5% to 8.5 million, RPP rose 4% to $17.90, and Adjusted EBITDA was $233 million at a 50% margin. Source
  • Hinge revenue up 22%: Hinge Direct Revenue was $204 million, up 22% (20% excluding FX). Payers rose 17% to 2.0 million, RPP rose 4% to $33.11, and Adjusted EBITDA was $79 million at a 39% margin. Source
  • E&E revenue down 17%: E&E Direct Revenue was $179 million, down 17%. Payers fell 21% to 2.7 million, and Adjusted EBITDA was $54 million, up 69%, at a 30% margin. Azar redesign revenue impact was about $5 million better than expected. Source
  • Three segments, recast history: Reporting moved to three segments: Tinder, Hinge and E&E, with Azar and Pairs now in E&E. Historical periods are recast in the supplemental materials. Source

“Match Group is having a great 2026, positioning us well for 2027.”

CEO Spencer Rascoff

Tinder user and product trends

  • Tinder DAU down 4%: DAU declined 4% Y/Y in Q2, against roughly 10% a year earlier, and global user retention rose 1%. In July, DAU was down nearly 2.5% Y/Y. Source
  • MAU decline narrowed to 7%: MAU fell 7% Y/Y in Q2, against 8% in Q1. Women's MAU fell 8% against 11% in Q1, and US declines slowed about 2.5 points. Source
  • Sparks stable, then higher in July: Sparks fell 4% Y/Y and Sparks Coverage grew 2%, both broadly stable versus Q1. After the mid-July update to discovery algorithms, both moved substantially higher through month-end. Source
  • MAU gains expected to lift Payers: Management expects continued MAU improvement to support Payer and revenue results over time, while tests can move results in individual quarters. Source

Tinder products and marketing

  • Events pilot drew young users: In the Los Angeles pilot, 71% of eligible active users aged 18 to 24 engaged with the Events tab. Events has since reached nine more U.S. and European cities. Source
  • Rebrand live, metrics improving: Tinder's rebrand is live globally with a new logo, palette, wordmark and typography. Management says nearly all engagement metrics improved after rollout. Source
  • Weekly curated profiles tab tested: A weekly curated set of profiles, based on who users crossed paths with, is in testing in Canada and Australia. Source
  • Text search testing in Canada: About 10% of exposed users submitted a search in early weeks, with tens of thousands of searches generated. Source
  • Lower-funnel marketing share rose: Lower-funnel channels are about half of total marketing spend, up from 30% last year, which management believes helps trends among women. Source

“Our progress this quarter demonstrates our sustainable-growth flywheel is working.”

Match Group, Inc., prepared remarks

Hinge growth and expansion

  • Hinge revenue up 86% in Europe: Hinge entered six new European countries in Q2 and kept the number one downloaded position across its European expansion markets in aggregate. Source
  • Global MAU up 13%, core flat: Global MAU grew 13% Y/Y, driven by expansion markets. Core-market MAU was flat while core revenue grew double digits in aggregate. Source
  • Friend's Take launched: Friends and family can add text, voice, video and photo reflections to a user's profile. Source
  • Latin America and India expansion: Hinge entered four new Latin American countries, following Brazil and Mexico, and India is cited as an important expansion market. Source
  • First reinforcement-learning model in build: The team is building a model to judge when a user may need a nudge, tip or other prompt. Source

Costs and margins

  • Total operating costs down 9%: Total operating costs and expenses fell 9% to about $608 million, or 71% of revenue, from 78% a year earlier. Source
  • Cost of revenue fell on payment savings: Cost of revenue fell 16% and was 24% of revenue, down four points, mainly from alternative payment savings. Source
  • Marketing spend up 7%: Selling and marketing rose at Tinder and Hinge, partly offset by lower E&E spend, and reached 19% of revenue. Source
  • G&A down 22% on headcount and legal: General and administrative costs fell 22%, to 12% of revenue, from lower headcount-related costs including SBC, and lower legal expenses. Source
  • Product development flat: Product development costs were flat Y/Y and held at 13% of revenue. Source

Payers, pricing and advertising

  • RPP up 6% as payers fall: Revenue per payer rose 6% to $21.13 while payers fell 6% Y/Y. Source
  • Indirect revenue down 28%: Indirect revenue was $13 million, down 28%, as top advertisers spent less than in a larger prior-year quarter. Source
  • Direct Revenue per MAU up 6%: Direct Revenue per MAU rose 6% Y/Y globally, and Payer penetration rose Y/Y globally and across Tinder's top five revenue countries. Source
  • Tests cut Q2 Tinder revenue: Tinder tests and product changes reduced Q2 Direct Revenue by about $8 million. Source

Capital, cash and shareholder returns

  • Free cash flow $527 million year to date: Operating cash flow was $564 million and free cash flow $527 million for the six months to June 30, 2026. Source
  • Buybacks and dividends returned cash: Repurchases and dividends used 81% of free cash flow with $92 million for employee award settlement. July buybacks added $16 million, leaving $697 million of authorization. Source
  • Leverage and cash balance: Trailing gross leverage was 2.7x and net leverage 2.2x. Cash and short-term investments were $584 million at quarter end. Source
  • Exchangeable notes repaid in June: Cash on hand repaid the 2026 exchangeable notes at maturity; the $500 million revolver was undrawn. Source
  • Dividend of $0.20 declared: The board declared a $0.20 per share cash dividend, payable October 20, 2026. Source
  • Diluted shares down 5%: Diluted shares outstanding were 237 million at July 31, 2026, down 5% over twelve months. Source

Strategy and E&E direction

  • E&E brand-level priorities set: E&E now has brand-by-brand priorities and more deliberate investment choices aimed at brands with the strongest long-term potential. Source
  • Shared capabilities across E&E: E&E brands use shared capabilities for Trust and Safety, recommendations, cross-sell and marketing. Analytics and performance marketing are being integrated. Source
  • Shared build under 1MG: Management is building shared capabilities that can serve several brands over time. Source
  • Capital priorities unchanged: Priorities are investment in the business, returns through buybacks and the dividend, and selective M&A. Source

Tinder execution and people

  • AI speeds Tinder product work: AI is compressing product development cycles, letting Tinder execute a second-half roadmap built around how Gen Z wants to connect. Source
  • Execution pace changed since joining: The remarks say Tinder was not shipping features quickly enough before the speaker joined; the speaker is not named in the document. Source
  • Research on in-person connection: Internal research says nearly half of singles aged 18 to 29 want in-person experiences, which management cites as the reason for scaling Events. Source

Coming up, as management said on 4 August 2026

  • Tinder Events to reach 26 cities: Events is planned to reach 26 cities worldwide by the end of September. Source
  • Events to power BLK by Q4: Tinder Events is expected to power in-app events for BLK by Q4, with possible extension to other E&E brands. Source
  • Hinge subscription tier test in Q3: Hinge plans to begin testing an additional subscription tier in the third quarter. Source
  • Tinder DAU expected to turn positive: Management expects Tinder DAU to turn positive year over year in the near term. Source
  • Discovery updates to more users: Updates are being extended to straight men and LGBTQ+ users, with similar benefits expected over time. Source
  • Second-half marketing plan: Second-half Tinder marketing will focus on Events, Modes and Search. Source
  • More E&E detail in coming quarters: Management plans to share more on E&E in the coming quarters. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Payers (customer count) Source13.3 million

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Some user experience tests and monetization changes can cause short-term drops in Payers or revenue. Source
  • Demand: Indirect revenue also reflected some advertising spend moved during the World Cup. Source
  • External: FX came in about $2 million worse than expected at the last earnings call. Source
  • Operational: The required Azar app redesign reduces Azar Direct Revenue, with a $15 million Q3 effect. Source
  • Financial: Incremental marketing at Tinder and Hinge in Q3 and Q4 offsets part of the margin gain. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Met: Management said Q2 revenue was in line with its expectations. Source
  • Ahead: Management said Q2 Adjusted EBITDA exceeded its expectations. Source
  • Met: Management said the major E&E platform migrations are now complete. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.