Love Island Heats Up as Peacock Poaches CBS Reality Series

Love Island has been dumped by CBS…

And coupled up with Peacock.

The hit reality series is on the move after three seasons at CBS.

Typically paired with Big Brother in the summer in its former home, Love Island spanned several hours of the line-up.

However, the former home wanted to bring the show back for a fourth season with less episodes.

ITV was uninterested in such a move and took the popular format on the market, and Peacock has picked up two seasons in a “highly competitive” bidding situation.

The immediate change is that the two seasons will shoot in California, likely in response to COVID-19, which forced the second season to shoot in Las Vegas.

The streaming edition of the series promises to be “hotter than ever as the Islanders couple up in a sexy new villa and compete in naughtier games and steamier challenges,” according to the service.

“As we continue to make Peacock a destination for must-watch original programming, partnering with a global powerhouse like ITV enables us to build on their internationally beloved formats to attract all new fans to the platform,” said Susan Rovner, Chairman Entertainment Content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming.

Added Jenny Groom, EVP Entertainment Unscripted Content, “’Love Island’ is a highly addictive dating format that is primed for a streaming service like Peacock where we can push boundaries and bring viewers steamy and dramatic twists.”

“The series took pop culture by storm after the UK format found fans across the world, and we are thrilled to be able to bring an all-new version to Peacock this summer anchoring our unscripted slate.”

“This really is an unprecedented deal for an unscripted brand,” said ITV America CEO David George.

“Peacock and NBCU are the perfect home for Love Island because of their strategy to grow the show, utilizing the greater NBCU television portfolio and other platforms to help propel the series.”

“That dedication, coupled with a two-season commitment on Peacock, sealed the deal.”

“We’re incredibly excited to elevate the show through a bold new collaboration.”

The series has not been met with same response in the U.S. as its UK counterpart, but it did perform well enough among younger viewers to become a staple of the CBS summer schedule.

What are your thoughts on the move to streaming?

Hit the comments below.

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Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.

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