Popular match-making web site JDate is on the prowl.
Spark Networks, which owns the popular dating site aimed at Jewish singles — as well as ChristianMingle.com, SilverSingles and CatholicMingle — has put itself up for sale and is in talks with at least one prospective suitor, sources told The Post.
Last week, the company unexpectedly postponed its June 18 annual shareholder meeting two days before it was scheduled in order to focus on the potential deal — while helping it sidestep a potentially nasty board battle with its largest shareholder, Osmium, sources told The Post.
Osmium, a San Francisco hedge fund, has been pushing for board seats amid concern that Spark has been over-spending on Christian Mingle while neglecting the company’s crown jewel, JDate.
Spark has spent $120 million in direct marketing on Christian Mingle since 2011, marking a sizable increase.
The spending spree has helped grow Christian Mingle’s subscribers by almost 700 percent since 2010 — to more than 180,000.
But the effort has not paid off, according to Osmium, as revenues at Christian Mingle have fallen since the third quarter of 2013. Plus, margins are being squeezed.
Revenue overall was up to $70 million in 2013, compared to $45 million in 2009 — but direct marketing expenses as a percentage of revenues grew to a whopping 75 percent in 2013, up from 27 percent in 2009.
Meanwhile JDate, the company’s most famous and lucrative site, is showing signs of deterioration.
The Jewish network posted revenue of $6.1 million in the first quarter, its lowest level since 2006, Osmium said. Jewish subscribers have also declined to 2006 levels, Osmium has said.
Osmium, which owns 14.2 percent of the stock, was on track to “overwhelmingly” win four of the company’s six board seats and oust management, a source said.
Days before the revolt, Spark put the brakes on the shareholder meeting, seeking a delay until August, a source familiar with the talks said.
Osmium said no to the months-long delay, but agreed to the current 10-day break, which is scheduled to end on Friday.
Osmium founder John Lewis didn’t return a request for comment.
“We are currently in discussions with the interested parties regarding the Company’s 2014 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and intend to make a statement following the resolution of these discussions,” the company said in a statement.
The stock meanwhile, is down by 14.5 percent this year and a whopping 35 percent in the last 12 months as dating apps like Tinder, which launched in 2012, shake up the industry.
Sources declined to reveal the bidder, but the world of online dating companies is small and currently dominated by Barry Diller’s IAC, which owns popular dating sites Match.com, OKCupid and Tinder.
Its dating sites were recently placed in a separate division called Match Group, which is expected to be spun off.