BENEFIT PLANS

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

Retirement Benefits [Abstract]

BENEFIT PLANS

NOTE 16—BENEFIT PLANS

Pursuant to the Match Group Retirement Savings Plan (the “Match Group Plan”), employees are eligible to participate in a retirement savings plan sponsored by the Company in the United States, which is qualified under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code. Participating employees may contribute up to 75% of their pre-tax earnings, but not more than statutory limits. The employer match under the Match Group Plan is 100% of the first 10% of a participant’s eligible earnings, subject to IRS limits on the Company’s matching contribution that a participant contributes to the Match Group Plan. The Company’s common stock is not an available investment option under the Match Group Plan.

Prior to January 1, 2021, Match Group employees were eligible to participate in a retirement savings plan sponsored by IAC in the United States pursuant to the Employee Matters Agreement with IAC (the “IAC Plan”). Beginning January 1, 2021, all investments in the IAC plan were transferred to the Match Group Plan. The employer match under the IAC plan was 100% of the first 10% of a participant’s eligible earnings. Prior to July 2019, the employer match under the IAC Plan was fifty cents for each dollar a participant contributed in the Plan, with a maximum contribution of 3% of a participant’s eligible earnings.

Matching contributions under the plans for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019 were $10.9 million, $8.6 million and $5.8 million, respectively. The increase in matching contributions from 2019 to 2020 is primarily due to the aforementioned change of the Company’s matching contribution in the second half of 2019.

Matching contributions are invested in the same manner that each participant’s voluntary contributions are invested under the respective plans. Under the IAC Plan and prior to the Separation, an available investment option was IAC common stock, but neither participant nor matching contributions were required to be invested in IAC common stock.

Internationally, Match Group also has or participates in various benefit plans, primarily defined contribution plans. The Company’s contributions for these plans for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019 were $5.4 million, $3.8 million and $3.1 million, respectively.