Love Island accounted for half of ITV2’s viewers last summer, according to a new report.
The reality show, which is a dating competition set here in Majorca, had a total audience to 4.9 million in June and July last year.
But researchers say there would have needed to be about 14 Love Islands broadcast during 2018 to counteract the overall drop in broadcast TV viewing between 2017 and 2018.
The findings were reported in Ofcom’s second annual “Media Nations” report, which tracks the viewing and listening habits of the UK. It added that broadcasters are encouraging viewing in multiple ways, including on demand and on different devices, and YouTube and Netflix are the top two most-viewed video services for 18-34 year olds.
The report said: “Non-live viewing, and especially viewing not on a TV set, is something that is more likely to occur with younger-skewing titles.
“For example, an episode of Love Island, broadcast on ITV2 in July 2018, showed a 24 per cent uplift from viewers watching on PCs/laptops, tablets and smartphones, bringing its total audience to 4.9 million. Conversely, older-skewing programmes like Countryfile do not register much change from the addition of multiple-screen viewing. An episode in September 2018 achieved an uplift of just 0.2 per cent from the additional three screens.”
Last year’s programme saw Dani Dyer, 22, and Jack Fincham, 28, being crowned the winners of the competition, scooping the £50,000 prize. Their victory was nothing short of a runaway with 79.66 per cent of the vote, leaving fellow contestants Laura Anderson, 30, and Paul Knops, 32, in second place with 8.44 per cent.