ITV Studios’ long-running successful global Love Island format took center stage in Lisbon, Portugal on Monday at a panel at the inaugural StreamTV Europe titled ‘Digital Primetime: The… Love Island Case study.”
The panel focused on how giant UK studio unit ITV Studios was dealing with fragmented viewership around the world and mobilizing fans and audiences to create Love Island The craze continues on digital platforms even when the show is not broadcast in the UK, US or other major territories. The success has also helped TV ratings, with season 12 in the UK becoming its biggest season in three years, and the US Peacock version was the most-streamed original TV series in North America last year.
Ruth Perry, head of global partnerships at ITV Studios, and her colleagues shared that it’s all about encouraging the fanbase. She explained that their goal was to ensure that fans of the series could “have it as a daily conversation in their lives,” and recommended that industry audiences: “Think about off-air fan engagement. [Especially,] Between seasons, it’s important to continue this narrative and fan engagement.
Success is about creating a “social community”, said Martin Trickey, managing director of Zoo 55, ITV Studios’ digital content brand. “Saying we wanted to be part of the conversation means listening first,” he stressed.
Part of listening means not ignoring user-generated content about the show or receiving takedown notices. Case in point: 9.7 billion organic views across owned, managed and local channels on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram is what ITV Studios has built in terms of Love Island content in 2025. But that’s dwarfed by the 49.3 billion views across community-created video content using Love Island Related hashtags in the past year. He joked that ITV studios dropped “regular content to keep the conversation going and avoid awkward silences”. But then the fans did the rest. ITV Studios tries to “listen to fans and change the show accordingly” when needed.
Will Scougall, executive vice president of brand and commercial partnerships and head of ITV Studios’ Studio 55, a global brand partnership studio launched this year designed to provide brands, marketing agencies and content creators with access to ITV Studios’ intellectual property, noted how the success has also translated into commercial sales. For example, the company sold more than 2 million Love Island water bottles, and the game has reached more than 35 million installs.
At StreamTV in Lisbon, he also revealed Corona Sunbrew’s partnership with Love Island: Beyond the Villaa spin-off of Love Island. One slogan noted, “Life is more fun when you embrace every moment.” ITV Studios explained that Corona Sunbrew gives one lucky fan aged 21 or older the chance to win a prize. Beyond the villaAn LA-inspired weekend getaway sponsored by Amaya Espinal as part of the partnership.
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