Tinder Majorly Bros Out With Its 1st Advertiser

Free Tinder users will be treated to the first-ever video ad on the app.

ByABC News
April 3, 2015, 10:20 AM
Tinder is seen on a smart phone.
Tinder is seen on a smart phone.
Franziska Kraufmann/AP Photo

— -- First, Tinder limited right swipes for free users of the app. Now they're getting ready to make them watch the app's first-ever video advertisement.

Users who don't fork over $9.99 per month, or $19.99 per month if they're over 30 years old, can now expect to have their swiping interrupted by an advertisement for Bud Light.

The video spot will invite users to swipe right (that's Tinder parlance for approving someone) for a chance to enter a contest to attend the beer company's annual "Whatever, USA" party that will be held in a mystery city in May.

Sean Rad, president and founder of the dating app, told Adweek he doesn't want advertisements to disrupt users' experience.

"Depending on how this goes, users might see more of this, but it's going to be a long time until this is a consistent part of your experience," he said.

The Bud Light ad is Tinder's latest effort to monetize. Last month, the company released a paid version of its app, Tinder Plus, which made headlines for its age-based pricing strategy.

For the privilege of skipping ads, undoing an accidental left swipe and the chance to explore Tinder in other parts of the world, users under 30 are charged $9.99 per month. People 30 and older have to pony up $19.99.

"Younger users are just as excited about Tinder Plus, but are more budget-constrained, and need a lower price to pull the trigger," Rosette Pambakian, vice president of corporate communications at Tinder, told ABC News last month.

After testing Tinder Plus in several countries, Pambakian said the tiered subscription model was created "based on a combination of factors, including what we've learned through our testing, and we've found that these price points were adopted very well by certain age demographics."