August 7th, 2018

Love island's villa doors are now firmly shut for the summer, however the momentum and fandom is still in full gusto, as the hype continues to sweep the nation.

This year's summer of love wrapped up last month, as millions of viewers tuned in to watch the nation's favourite couple Jack Fincham and Dani Dyer, be crowned winners of Season 4. Up to 50% of those who tuned in to the final were 16-34 year olds, with another 2 million at least requesting to watch the final on our streaming service, the ITV Hub, throughout the broadcast. This show has broken social and media norms like no other, and has permeated popular culture and dominated all viewing platforms to be a show that is watched en masse, by any means necessary!

If you weren't in on this year's series, then there's no way you could have escaped the hype, as since it's launch in June it's been melting social media, reported on daily by both trade and national press, and has been likened to David Attenborough's revered nature documentaries! Our Love island spin offs: Aftersun and Hot List also performed well, giving the show a cohesive experience for all viewers wanting to get involved in the villa shenanigans. One of the reasons the show works so well is that it gives viewers the chance to engage with and participate with the show from start to finish, it brings them on that life-changing journey with the islanders.

With the exception of the World Cup, Love Island is well and truly the best performing TV show for young viewers this year on any channel, and is set for equal if not better success next year. The engagement and popularity has been so high that we've even seen scores of public screenings for the grand finale being hosted across London, with hoards of excited fans queuing to be a part of the live experience alongside a nation of Love Island superfans.

The demand for all things Love Island is growing year on year, and all 11 brands who have partnered around the show this year are now reaping the fruits of their perfect partnerships. Superdrug has seen unprecedented brand growth and awareness as a result of sponsoring the show since 2016, and this year reported a 112% year-on-year increase in suncare sales throughout the series! The show has continuously drawn huge audiences of 16-34 year olds to the brand's online and in-store destinations, which is their key customer base: a true match made in heaven.

Missguided, another valuable partner, reported a 40% sales boost, helped by the islander's wearing the brand's best numbers throughout the series. Without question, this show proves that with the right partnerships, TV can absolutely transform and supercharge brand growth for all. This growth can then be turbo-charged across multiple platforms including online, in-app, across social media: the opportunities are endless.

There's nothing traditional about the success we're seeing with Love Island, with the show format now being sold to multiple countries, Love Island is now showing across the globe, creating fandoms across cultures. Now that....is revolutionary!

love island thinkbox viewers chart
Between summer and christmas, someone will be watching Love Island every day, across the world. Mike Beale, ITV
The show’s establishment as a cultural phenomenon – which achieved the seemingly impossible feat of convincing a young audience to watch live television at a set time every night – will boost profits at the broadcaster. Jim Waterson, Guardian

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