Summary of Key Points
The dating show market in 2026 has shown a contrast of "hot content, lukewarm investment attraction, and increased platform involvement": On the content side, new shows have dominated search trends, with the number of new programs nearly matching the total for the entire previous year within half a year (7 vs. 8 in 2025), with another 14 programs scheduled to air in the second half of the year. However, investment attraction has been weak, with most shows airing without sponsorship or with only sporadic sponsorships. Major sponsors (automobiles, high-end cosmetics) have withdrawn from the market. In contrast, long-form video platforms have increased their investment, as the business logic of dating shows has shifted from relying on brand advertising to generating revenue internally (through membership fees, talent incubation, and traffic sharing), which has become a safe strategy for cost reduction and profit improvement.
Detailed Analysis
1. Content is Hot, but Investment Attraction is Weak
Dating shows have gained significant popularity among viewers in 2026: Seven new programs dominated social media search trends and short-video content creation in the first half of the year, with topics such as "Heartbeat at 20" and "Half-Ripe Lovers 5" being widely discussed. Another 14 programs are scheduled to air in the second half, covering themes like pet dating and wilderness romance. On the investment side, however, things have been bleak: Of the eight new dating shows released this year, only two managed to secure sponsors in advance; the rest aired without any branding or with minimal sponsorship (for example, Mango TV's "The Distance Between Us and Love" only received sponsorships from companies like Jinlongyu and Geely). Major sponsors from the automotive, high-end cosmetics, and household appliance sectors have largely withdrawn, leaving behind smaller players from new consumer categories (such as Yuanqi Forest and Ximu Yuan), internet services (Soul and Du Xiaoman), and consumer goods (Jinlongyu and Uni).
2. Sponsor Withdrawal: Tighter Budgets and Changing Strategies
There are two main reasons for the withdrawal of sponsors:
- Budget Cuts: Brands are generally reducing their marketing spending due to economic challenges, making large-scale sponsorship fees for dating shows unaffordable.
- Shift in Strategy: Dating shows have shifted from being a mass-market strategy to targeting specific demographics (e.g., young women). Sponsors now prefer more subtle forms of integration, such as brief appearances in relevant scenarios, rather than long-term partnerships. For example, Yuanqi Forest only sponsors in shows aimed at younger audiences, and Soul relies on scene-based exposure to attract new users.
3. Platforms Increasing Investment
Platforms are willing to invest in dating shows because they offer cost-effective and profitable opportunities:
- Low Costs: Talent lives in small houses for 15-30 days of filming, with the cost for top-tier shows ranging from 20 million to 45 million yuan—more than half the cost of music or outdoor reality shows (80 million to 200 million yuan). This also eliminates the need for expensive star observation rooms.
- High Potential for Viral Success: Emotional conflicts among the talents (arguments, moments of attraction) make for excellent short-video content that can go viral with minimal investment. For example, last year's "Us with Secrets 2" was successful without any stars or sponsors.
- Strong Membership Conversion: The target audience (women aged 18-40) is crucial for platform growth. Platforms encourage membership through exclusive content, fan voting for couples, and joint promotional packages.
- Additional Revenue Streams: Talents can become internet celebrities and generate revenue from sponsorships after signing contracts. For instance, the MCN business at Youku generated over 50% of its revenue from dating shows, with a growth rate of over 200% in two years.
4. Changing Business Logic
The traditional model of relying on brand advertising for revenue has been replaced by a more diversified approach:
- New Revenue Models: The value of dating shows now includes membership recruitment, traffic generation, and talent monetization. For example:
- Tencent's "Half-Ripe Lovers 5" offers an exclusive "Anke Theater" for members.
- iQiyi's "Like You, I Do Too 6" allows members to vote for their favorite couples.
- Youku earns revenue from viewership through membership fees.
- Mango TV makes behind-the-scenes content available exclusively to VIP subscribers.
Platforms are no longer dependent on sponsors but focus on user growth and long-term profitability, creating a closed loop that includes producing dating shows, attracting members, incubating talents, generating more revenue, and then producing more shows.
5. Future Trends
The trend in the dating show industry is towards greater specialization and more innovative formats:
- In the second half of the year, we can expect more competitive shows from Tencent (e.g., "Heartbeat Signal 9"), iQiyi's first pet dating show ("Wagging Tail to Say I Love You"), and Mango TV's wilderness survival romance shows. Themes will target different demographics (post-00s campus love, mature relationships for over 30s, and silver-haired couples). Platforms will continue to use dating shows as a stable source of revenue.
In One Sentence
Dating shows have evolved from being marketing tools for sponsors to profit-making machines for the platforms themselves. The core change in 2026 is the shift towards lower costs and higher profitability through more targeted and innovative content strategies.