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Nine, Seven in tussle over Love Island

Exclusive: Nine's option on Love Island has lapsed and now networks are hungry for the BVOD numbers it can drive.

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EXCLUSIVE: Networks are in hot negotiations today over a third season of Love Island Australia.

Nine’s option on the show lapsed some months ago and is now being considered by Seven.

At the centre of network interest is the show’s huge BVOD numbers.  Around 40% of the total audience watches the show via 9Now.

In 2018 Hamish Turner, Nine’s Program Director said, “The show broke all the rules, with an audience first approach, which saw the viewing on 9Now smash records but most importantly Love Island has provided a blueprint for what the future of television looks like.”

The combination of a local series and rights to the UK production could turbocharge Seven’s 7Plus service – which has been a much stronger performer in recent weeks since the conclusion of MAFS.

But there has been a flurry of activity this week, and a deal could be finalised as soon as today.

Production on the show is unclear with COVID-19 restrictions inhibiting any restart -the UK production is out for 2020- but at stake locally is the revenue generated through BVOD on 9Now and 7Plus.

A Nine spokesperson said, “The on-going health crisis has meant Love Island Australia is unable to go into production this year. We continue to work through where, when and how the next season of the show can be filmed in 2021. We will make further announcements when those plans are confirmed.”

ITV Studios Australia declined to comment.

25 Responses

  2. As a teenager myself, I found LI an addictive show for the full 6 weeks. I would watch at 10 pm on 9now, as for whatever reason no ads played on my laptop. It has since changed unfortunately, but I could watch the whole show nightly for 50 minutes.

  3. So there’s gonna be a bidding war for Love Island … yet there’s no love for The Circle (to clarify, The Circle – the social media centred reality game show, not 10’s former morning show).

          1. That’s pretty much how Netflix works – they buy the rights to the whole thing, or it’s no deal.

        2. Correct, October 2018:
          Netflix has bought the global rights (ex-UK) of Studio Lambert’s new social experiment reality format The Circle.

          That’s a shame, could have been a good pick up for one of our networks. But of course they can only produce a limited number of seasons per year in that building in England anyway. They only have 12 apartments rigged up for it.

    1. It’s yet to air … but to quote a wise girl from a commercial …. why can’t they have both.

      Joke aside, CBS in the US have both BB & LI and it works for them

    2. I think Australia has given up on BB already. It’s going to be interesting to see how a pre-recorded BB plays out on Australian TV. As many have said before, one of it’s major appeals (regardless what network it was on) simply was that this was a show which had been shot and packaged, ready to air within 24 hours. It was pretty much live.

  5. As a 19 year-old myself, I can assure you that Love Island dominates among my age bracket. It’s all over social media, generates conversation at school, and is addictive, must-watch TV. It may not rate well on TV, but, as many have mentioned, this is because everyone is using online services to stream these days and is not going to sit down and watch a show (with ads) from 8.30 on weeknights – when we have study or homework to do! It’s definitely something you are watching on the go or in the back of your english class.

    That be said, Channel 7 should go for this. Love Island UK would fit in well with their similar 7Plus offerings, which is far superior to 9Now. And given 9 killed the Australian version last year, maybe a new home would give it the right push to mirror it’s success in the UK!

    apologies for such a long message lol

  6. Do you think there might be a push for Nine or Seven to take the format rights for Australia and produce the show through their own production divisions? Then they could keep the profits from selling the show internationally and the money made from YouTube monetisation?

  7. Hardly anyone watches Love Island on TV – the last series was getting 200k on Nine but rating 800k when they added up all the catch ups. It looks like some of the forward thinking ones at 7 have realised the value. Nine won’t let it go. Surprised 10 aren’t having a crack too – feels more like a 10 show.

  8. Just saw the thumbnail of the 2 blokes fighting under this article and David said it had 70 million YouTube views – I thought that can’t be right and went and checked. It now has 730 million views!!! That’s insanity. Granted YouTube equals no money but there can’t be any other Aussie show with anything like that global interest??

  9. Nine would be mental to lose this – it’s the golden goose of reality tv. very few FTA shows get any kind of traction with that younger demo and they are getting constant media when it’s on. it’s literally one of the only shows that demo will leave streaming services for (altho they’re likely watching on 9’s online platform!) Size isn’t everything – who throws away those eyeballs!?

  10. BVOD revenue is very important now and will get more and more important in years to come. I can’t think of anything (other than Married) that can deliver like Love Island. It’s all my kids talk about when it’s on. Not surprised 7 and 9 are scrapping over it.

  11. I don’t understand why 7 or 9 would be interested. When you look at all the true data / numbers and remove the PR spin this format just hasn’t cut through.

    1. Not every show needs to be targeted at the ‘mass audience’. Love Island (both the UK & AU versions) is a program that not only is popular with Millennials, but also is an advertisers dream project.

      I’m a school teacher in my early 30’s. There’s been no other show on TV (excluding Netflix streaming) that’s had more buzz & discussion amongst both my friendship group– but also my group of students. I’ve only ever caught students watching two things on their laptops during class– Love Island and NBA Finals. I think that provides an example on how it is popular with the younger demographics (that isn’t really reflected well in the OzTam data).

      Then combine that with the advertising potential that Love Island provides to this audience.

      While on the show the production company has exclusive access to the social media accounts of these social influencers (and create…

      1. I agree. I just finished high school last year. 90% of free to air TV programs weren’t even known by the students. However, plenty were hooked on Love Island AU & UK through 9Now. A app I highly doubt most would have otherwise.

        1. I had a different experience as a high school student everyone I spoke to was watching shows like MAFS, Survivor ect.. Free to air wasn’t unknown to many people my age

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