‘Love Island’ Jumps to Peacock From CBS

Love Island has a new home in the United States.

Peacock has won rights to the American version of the hit British series in what it calls a “highly competitive situation.” The NBCUniversal-owned streaming platform has picked up two seasons of Love Island, with the first set to air in the summer. The show, produced by ITV America’s ITV Entertainment, had aired on CBS for the past three seasons.

Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that CBS broached scaling back the number of hours in a fourth season of Love Island. ITV balked at that idea and took the show back to the market, where Peacock outbid several other outlets.

“As we continue to make Peacock a destination for must-watch original programming, partnering with a global powerhouse like ITV enables us to build on their internationally beloved formats to attract all new fans to the platform,” said Susan Rovner, chairman entertainment content at NBCUniversal Television and Streaming.

Related Stories

Business

CBS Broadcast Center in New York Up For Sale From Paramount

TV

'Based on a True Story' Review: Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina Lift a Show Low on Originality

Love Island on Peacock will keep the same format as previous seasons — running multiple episodes per week as it follows a group of single people who descend on a resort and try to couple up and remain in the game. Viewers also have a say on which contestants stick around.

“Love Island is a highly addictive dating format that is primed for a streaming service like Peacock where we can push boundaries and bring viewers steamy and dramatic twists, said Jenny Groom, executive vp entertainment unscripted content and NBC TV and Streaming. “The series took pop culture by storm after the UK format found fans across the world, and we are thrilled to be able to bring an all-new version to Peacock this summer anchoring our unscripted slate.”

Part of Peacock’s winning bid for Love Island was a promise to use other NBCU platforms to help market the series. Sources say that having the show originate on a streaming platform could also allow for somewhat racier content than what aired on CBS.

“This really is an unprecedented deal for an unscripted brand,” said ITV America CEO David George. “Peacock and NBCU are the perfect home for Love Island because of their strategy to grow the show, utilizing the greater NBCU television portfolio and other platforms to help propel the series. That dedication, coupled with a two-season commitment on Peacock, sealed the deal. We’re incredibly excited to elevate the show through a bold new collaboration.”

Arielle Vandenberg hosted the CBS show, with Matthew Hoffman providing snarky voice-over narration. There’s no word yet on whether they’ll make the move to Peacock as well.

CBS brought Love Island to the United States in 2019, when the show was at its peak popularity in the U.K. While it was never a ratings breakout — last summer’s edition averaged 1.66 million same-day viewers — its audience skewed younger than most CBS programming and had solid engagement on social platforms.

ITV Entertainment produces Love Island. It’s based on a format owned by ITV Studios and Motion Content Group and distributed by ITV Studios.