# The German dating app market in 2026: ParshipMeet, Hinge and Spark

Published 2026-10-16. Updated 2026-10-16. https://www.datingapi.io/insights/dating-app-market-germany

**In short:** Germany's dating market is shaped by a home-grown group, ParshipMeet, now wholly owned by ProSiebenSat.1 and up for eventual sale, and by US apps led by Tinder and a fast-expanding Hinge. Berlin-based Spark Networks' operating company went insolvent in 2026. The EU Digital Services Act and new Apple terms set the rules.

Germany's dating app market has two halves. One is a German group, ParshipMeet, which runs Parship, ElitePartner and LOVOO alongside eharmony and MeetMe [3]. ProSiebenSat.1 became its sole owner in 2025 [4], and ProSieben's new controlling shareholder wants dating sold, though not yet [5][6]. The other half is the US apps, with Match Group's Hinge expanding fast in Germany and other European markets [12]. In between, Berlin's Spark Networks, the company that grew out of eDarling and EliteSingles, saw its operating company enter insolvency in January 2026 [9][10]. All of them work under the EU Digital Services Act, which has applied to every online platform since 17 February 2024 [13].

Germany has no public audience survey for dating apps like Ofcom's in the UK that we could open and cite, so this guide relies on company reports and regulators.

## Who runs dating apps in Germany

| Group | Brands relevant to Germany | Owner | What changed recently |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ParshipMeet Group | Parship, ElitePartner, LOVOO, plus eharmony, MeetMe, Tagged, Skout | ProSiebenSat.1, sole owner | Sold GROWLr in October 2026; dating revenue under pressure |
| Match Group | Tinder, Hinge, plus Match Group's other brands | Public, US listed | Hinge expanding in Germany and other European markets |
| Bumble Inc | Bumble, Badoo | Agreed to go private | Ithaca Holdings deal agreed October 2026 |
| Spark Networks | Formerly EliteSingles, Zoosk and others | MGG Investment Group since 2024 | Operating company insolvent since January 2026 |

Source: The Meet Group [3], ProSiebenSat.1 [1][4], Global Dating Insights [8][9], Match Group [12], Jones Day [17].

## ParshipMeet: a German group waiting for a buyer

ParshipMeet Group was formed in September 2020 when Parship Group, owner of eharmony, Parship and ElitePartner, bought The Meet Group, owner of MeetMe, LOVOO, Tagged, Skout and GROWLr, for $6.30 a share, an enterprise value of about $500 million [3]. At the time it employed more than 1,100 people in eight offices [3].

Its ownership has been in play ever since.

| Date | Event |
| --- | --- |
| 4 Sep 2020 | ParshipMeet formed, jointly owned by ProSiebenSat.1 and General Atlantic [3] |
| 28 Mar 2023 | ProSiebenSat.1 says dating is "no longer part of the core business" and looks for an owner [7] |
| 20 Mar 2025 | ProSiebenSat.1 agrees to buy General Atlantic's stake and become sole owner, paying €10m in cash, shares and a €50m payment on exit [4] |
| 23 Oct 2025 | MFE-MediaForEurope holds over 75% of ProSiebenSat.1 and plans to sell side businesses, including dating [5] |
| 10 Mar 2026 | Sources tell Reuters ParshipMeet will be kept for now, partly because of its depressed valuation [6] |
| 6 Aug 2026 | ProSiebenSat.1 says dating was hit by consumer restraint in Germany and the US [1] |
| 6 Oct 2026 | GROWLr sold to Perry Street Software [8] |

Source: company statements and reporting as cited [1][3][4][5][6][7][8].

ProSiebenSat.1 does not publish ParshipMeet's revenue in its quarterly release. It reports dating inside a Commerce & Dating segment with the beauty retailer flaconi [2]. That segment's revenue was €269 million in the three months to June 2026, down 16% as reported, or up 3% after removing currency and portfolio effects [2]. ProSieben said its Dating & Video portfolio was "significantly impacted" by consumer restraint in Germany and the US and by strong competition, with video social dating much weaker than a year earlier, and that flaconi drove the segment's growth [1][2].

## Spark Networks: the Berlin story

Spark Networks has deep German roots. Its predecessor Affinitas launched eDarling in Germany in 2009, and EliteSingles in the UK, Canada and Australia in 2013 [10]. Affinitas merged with the US company Spark Networks in November 2017 to form Spark Networks SE, which bought Zoosk in July 2019 [10].

The decline came in two steps. In January 2024 a Berlin restructuring court confirmed a plan under Germany's StaRUG law that dealt with over $100 million of funded debt and left lender MGG Investment Group as sole owner [17]. Then on 16 January 2026 the Charlottenburg local court placed Spark Networks Services GmbH, which ran key operations for its brands, under preliminary insolvency administration [9]. EliteSingles closed on 30 April 2026 [11]. We cover what followed in [relaunching a dating brand](/insights/relaunching-a-dating-brand) and the wider list of deals in our [deals tracker](/insights/dating-app-deals-tracker).

## The US apps: Tinder and a fast-growing Hinge

Match Group does not publish German figures, but its second quarter 2026 letter lists Germany among Hinge's European expansion markets [12]. Across those markets, Hinge's direct revenue grew 86% on a year earlier, and Hinge was the most downloaded dating app in aggregate [12]. Bumble, the other big US group, is being taken private by Ithaca Holdings and does not split out German revenue in its results.

For a German operator, Hinge's push matters most. It competes directly with Parship and ElitePartner for members who want a relationship, but with a free entry point.

## Rules: the DSA, German enforcement and app store terms

The EU Digital Services Act has applied to all online platforms since 17 February 2024, with fines of up to 6% of a provider's global annual turnover [13]. For dating apps, the main duties are:

- **Notice and action.** Members must be able to flag illegal content, and platforms must respond and offer appeals [14].
- **Protecting minors.** Platforms must take measures to keep minors safe, and targeted advertising to children is banned [14].
- **Advertising transparency.** Ads must be labelled [14].

National Digital Services Coordinators supervise platforms established in their country, while the European Commission handles the largest platforms [14]. In Germany, the Bundesnetzagentur said it would take on the coordinator role once the German Digital Services Act (Digitale-Dienste-Gesetz) came into force [15].

App store terms are also changing. Apple moved every developer distributing apps in the EU to a single set of business terms from 1 October 2026, including a 5% Core Technology Commission on digital sales in apps distributed outside the App Store, and allows alternative payments alongside Apple's in-app purchase [16]. Check the current rates for your own setup before modelling margins.

## What it means for dating app operators

- **ParshipMeet is the asset to watch.** Its owner has wanted to sell since 2023 [7], and MFE's control makes a sale more likely once valuations recover [5][6]. A change of owner could reshape relationship dating in Germany.
- **Relationship dating is getting more competitive.** Hinge's growth in Europe [12] puts pressure on paid matchmaking brands that charge from day one.
- **Insolvency risk is real for mid-sized groups.** Spark's path from restructuring in 2024 to insolvency in 2026 [9][17] shows how quickly a lender's decision can end a brand.
- **EU rules are now an operating cost.** DSA notice and action, appeals and minors' protections apply to every platform [13][14]. Building them into the platform once, as described on our [how it works](/how-it-works) page, is cheaper than retrofitting each app.

## Questions

**Who owns Parship and ElitePartner?**

ParshipMeet Group, which also owns eharmony, MeetMe, LOVOO, Tagged and Skout [3]. ProSiebenSat.1 agreed in March 2025 to buy out General Atlantic and become its sole owner [4].

**Is ParshipMeet for sale?**

Eventually. MFE, which controls ProSiebenSat.1, wants side businesses including dating sold [5], but in March 2026 sources told Reuters ProSieben would keep ParshipMeet for now, partly because of its depressed valuation [6].

**What happened to Spark Networks in Germany?**

Its Berlin operating company, Spark Networks Services GmbH, was placed in preliminary insolvency by the Charlottenburg court on 16 January 2026 [9]. EliteSingles, which began as a product of Berlin's Affinitas, closed on 30 April 2026 [10][11].

**Which EU rules apply to dating apps in Germany?**

The Digital Services Act, which has applied to all online platforms since 17 February 2024 and allows fines of up to 6% of global annual turnover [13]. It requires notice and action systems and measures to protect minors [14].

## Sources

1. ProSiebenSat.1 reports strong EBITDA growth of EUR 152 million in the first half of 2026, ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE, 2026-08-06. https://www.prosiebensat1.com/en/newsroom/prosiebensat1-reports-strong-ebitda-growth-of-eur152-million-in-the-first-half-of2026-608029
2. ProSiebenSat.1 Q2 2026 press release (PDF), ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE, 2026-08-05. https://www.prosiebensat1.com/files/2026/08/05/1b64e7c0-0790-4643-af78-bafd9db9fd21.pdf
3. The Meet Group announces closing of acquisition by eharmony parent company Parship Group, The Meet Group, 2020-09-04. https://themeetgroup.com/?p=755
4. ProSiebenSat.1 approves proposed agreement with General Atlantic on the acquisition of its minority stakes in NuCom Group and ParshipMeet Group, ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE, 2025-03-20. https://www.prosiebensat1.com/en/newsroom/prosiebensat1-approves-proposed-agreement-with-general-atlantic-on-the-acquisition-of-its-minority-stakes-in-nucom-group-and-parshipmeet-group-together-with-an-intended-sale-of-verivox-513729
5. ProSiebenSat.1 plans sale of dating platforms after takeover, Global Dating Insights, 2025-10-23. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/from-the-web/prosiebensat-1-plans-sale-of-dating-platforms-after-takeover/
6. ProSieben keeps ParshipMeet, Flaconi as it explores sale of other digital units, sources say, Reuters via Global Banking & Finance Review, 2026-03-10. https://www.globalbankingandfinance.com/prosieben-keeps-parshipmeet-flaconi-explores-sale-digital/
7. ProSiebenSat.1 to cut jobs, seeks buyer for dating business, Reuters via Kitco, 2023-03-28. https://www.kitco.com/news/off-the-wire/2023-03-28/update-1-prosiebensat1-cut-jobs-seeks-buyer-dating-business
8. Perry Street Software acquires gay bear dating app GROWLr from The Meet Group, Global Dating Insights, 2026-10-06. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/featured/perry-street-software-acquires-growlr/
9. Dating provider Spark Networks enters preliminary insolvency, Global Dating Insights, 2026-01-21. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/featured/dating-provider-spark-networks-enters-preliminary-insolvency/
10. Our story, Spark Networks, 2026-10-16. https://www.spark.net/our-story
11. EliteSingles to suddenly shut down on April 30, Global Dating Insights, 2026-04-30. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/featured/elitesingles-to-suddenly-shut-down-on-april-30/
12. Match Group Q2 2026 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2026-08-04. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000891103/000089110326000128/mtch8-k20260804ex992.htm
13. DSA enforcement, European Commission, 2026-10-16. https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/dsa-enforcement
14. The Digital Services Act, European Commission, 2026-10-16. https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/digital-services-act
15. Digital Services Coordinator, Bundesnetzagentur, 2026-10-16. https://www.bundesnetzagentur.de/EN/Areas/Digitalisation/DSA/start.html
16. Changes for apps in the European Union, Apple Developer, 2026-08-18. https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=gmws0jgp
17. Spark Networks: German StaRUG plan confirmed in first-ever cross-border restructuring, Jones Day, 2024-05-17. https://www.jonesday.com/en/practices/experience/2024/01/spark-networks-german-starug-plan-confirmed-in-firstever-crossborder-restructuring-under-german-starug-and-us-chapter-15