<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2016-01-15</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001314475</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>SPARK NETWORKS INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>LOV</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001595563</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>402 CAPITAL LLC</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>5015 UNDERWOOD AVENUE</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>OMAHA</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NE</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>68132</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001595560</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>JACOBS IAN</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>5015 UNDERWOOD AVENUE</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>OMAHA</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NE</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>68132</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2016-01-15</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>J</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>352938</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>3.85</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>1432838</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>See Footnote</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F5"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Represents distribution of shares by the Reporting Person to a limited partner of SCA Partners, LP (&quot;SCA&quot;) over which there is no longer any beneficial ownership or pecuniary interest therein.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">The filing of this Form 4 shall not be construed as an admission that Ian V. Jacobs (&quot;Mr. Jacobs&quot;), the managing member of 402 Capital, LLC (&quot;402 Capital&quot;), or 402 Capital, is or was for the purposes of Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the beneficial owner of any of the shares of common stock, par value $0.001 (the &quot;Common Stock&quot;) of Spark Networks, Inc. (&quot;Issuer&quot;), owned by 402 Fund, LP (the &quot;Fund&quot;) or SCA.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">As previously reported on the reporting persons' Form 3 and Form 4s with respect to the Issuer, (1) the Fund holds 1,215,950 shares of Common Stock, and 402 Capital and Mr. Jacobs report the shares held by the Fund because as the investment manager of the Fund, and the managing member of 402 Capital, respectively, they control the disposition and voting of the securities and (2) Mr. Jacobs holds 25,000 shares of Common Stock, 23,180 shares of Common Stock underlying restricted stock units, of which 5,795 are scheduled to vest within the next 60 days, and 50,000 shares of Common  Stock issuable upon the exercise of options, of which 12,500 have vested, in his personal account.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">Pursuant to Rule 16a-1, each of Mr. Jacobs and 402 Capital disclaims beneficial ownership except to the extent of their respective pecuniary interests.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F5">The reported shares of Common Stock are held by SCA. After giving effect to the transactions reported in this Form 4, SCA holds 1,432,838 shares of Common Stock. 402 Capital controls the voting and disposition of the Common Stock held by SCA, of which 402 Capital is the investment manager. An affiliate of 402 Capital, for which Mr. Jacobs is the managing member, serves as the general partner of SCA and receives an allocation of net profits from SCA. Mr. Jacobs reports the shares held indirectly by 402 Capital because, as the managing member of 402 Capital at the time of purchase, Mr. Jacobs controlled the disposition and voting of the securities.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks>For purposes of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the Reporting Person may be deemed to be a director by deputization due to Mr. Jacobs serving as a member of the board of directors of the Issuer.</remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Ian V. Jacobs, Managing Member of 402 Capital, LLC</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2016-01-19</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Ian V. Jacobs</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2016-01-19</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
