How ‘Love Island’ Became “Digital Primetime” With ITV Studios Enabling Fans’ “Daily Conversation”

'Love Island USA' season 6. Ben Symons/Peacock

ITV Studios‘ long-running global hit format Love Island took center stage in Lisbon, Portugal on Monday in a session at the inaugural StreamTV Europe entitled “Digital Primetime: The Love Island Case Study.”

The panel focused on how U.K. TV giant ITV’s studios unit has tackled fragmented viewership around the world and corralled fans and fandoms to make Love Island an ongoing obsession on digital platforms even when the show doesn’t air in the U.K., U.S. or in other key territories. And that success has also helped TV ratings, with season 12 in the U.K. becoming its biggest season in three years and the U.S. Peacock version being the most streamed original TV series in North America last year. Ruth Berry, ITV Studios‘ president of global partnerships, and colleagues shared that it is all about fanning the fandom. Their goal was to ensure that fans of the franchise can “have it as a daily conversation in their lives,” she explained, recommending to the industry audience: “Think about the engagement of fans off-air. [Especially,] in between seasons, it is important to continue that narrative” and fan engagement. Martin Trickey, managing director of Zoo 55, ITV Studios’ digital content label, said the success is all about creating “a social community.” And he emphasized: “Saying we wanted to be part of the conversation meant to first listen.” Part of that listening process means not to ignore, or hit with takedown notices, user-generated content around the show. Case in point: 9.7 billion organic views across owned and operated and local channels on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram is what ITV Studios created in terms of Love Island content in 2025. But that was dwarfed by the 49.3 billion views across community-created video content with Love Island related hasthtags last year. ITV Studios dropped “regular content to keep the conversation going and avoid awkward silences,” he quipped. But then fans did the rest. And ITV Studios has been trying to “listen to the fans and change the show accordingly” when needed. Will Scougal, executive vp, brand & commercial partnerships and head of ITV Studios’ Studio 55, a global brand partnership studio launched this year that is designed to offer brands, marketing agencies and content creators access to ITV Studios’ intellectual property, noted how the success has also translated into merchandising sales. For example, the company has sold more than 2 million Love Island water bottles, and a game has reached more than 35 million installs.

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At the StreamTV in Lisbon, he also unveiled a Corona Sunbrew partnership with Love Island: Beyond the Villa, a Love Island spin-off. A tagline noted that “that life gets juicier when you embrace every moment.” And ITV Studios explained that Corona Sunbrew is giving one lucky fan 21 or older the chance to win a Beyond the Villa-inspired weekend in Los Angeles curated by Amaya Espinal as part of the partnership.