CBS to Bring Love Island to the U.S.

The hit British reality series Love Island is being adapted in the U.S., with CBS securing for the format rights for an American version.

Love Island sees a group of single “islanders” on the lookout for romance come together in a villa in a beautiful tropical location. There are challenges and dramatic twists as the islanders form alliances, while relationships are made in an effort to win the ultimate prize. Viewers have the opportunity to shape events on screen as they watch the relationships develop, and ultimately crown one lucky couple as the winners, who walk away with a cash prize.

In the U.K., the season four finale of Love Island aired last week to a record overnight audience, ranking as the most-watched program ever on ITV2, with almost half of all adult viewers under 34 tuning in throughout the series.

“Love Island has been a massive success overseas,” said Sharon Vuong, senior VP of alternative programming for CBS. “It’s currently seen, or about to premiere in, several European countries as well as Australia, and we’re thrilled that ITV has partnered with us to bring their most successful show to American television. Having seen the reaction of audiences ‘across the pond’ and around the world to this most recent season, we expect American viewers will be captivated by this engaging format. Additionally, Love Island is more than a pop sensation; this series has generated compelling ‘sociological think pieces’ in major publications here and abroad.”

“As a format, Love Island breaks the mold with high levels of viewer interactivity and participation that influence the content of the show in a way that’s extremely addictive,” said David George, CEO of ITV America. “It’s a cultural phenomenon that builds anticipation with every episode and creates appointment viewing—a pretty hard thing to do in today’s TV landscape. We’re ecstatic the show has found a home at CBS and look forward to working collaboratively to engage its millions of viewers.”