Match.com and EarthLink are getting together, with officials announcing a
deal Thursday that puts the online dating service on the Internet service
provider’s (ISPs) Web site and connecting singles around the world.
The online dating service caters to 3.25 million singles who have left
their profiles on the Web site and is found on many of the largest
providers sites in the U.S., including MSN and AOL
.
As part of the deal, Match.com will provide content on EarthLink’s site,
which already contains a Match.com link on its home page and on its
newly-instituted “Romance” page. EarthLink will promote the co-branded
service throughout its site.
Online dating has been an extremely profitable venture for many companies
these days. Match.com, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ticketmaster , brought in 2.9 million in revenues in the second quarter of
this year, due largely to a 178 percent increase in the number of paying
customers, who shell out $24.95 a month for unlimited access to the site.
To date, the company has more than 604,000 subscribers.