Two new international versions of ITV Studios’ (ITVS) and Motion Content Group’s award-winning, record-breaking format Love Island are to air in 2019, taking the total number of original commissions to 11 countries.

In Belgium, SBS has licensed the format, which will be a co-production with RTL in the Netherlands. This version will feature Islanders from both countries and will be co-produced by Lecter Belgium and ITV Studios Netherlands. Meanwhile, Polsat has ordered the show for Poland, which will be produced by Jakevision.

Love Island has also been recommissioned in Sweden (TV4) and Germany (RTL II) following highly successful first and second seasons respectively. In the UK, where Love Island became the most tweeted about show of 2018*, ITV2 will air its fifth season later this year. It will also make its US debut on CBS, while a second season in Australia was confirmed last year. The overall number of international production hours for Love Island tripled in 2018.

Mike Beale, Managing Director, Nordics and ITV Studios Global Creative Network, said: “Love Island’s unique blend of light-hearted fun, meaningful relationships, and window on youth culture, has made it one of most-talked about shows of the year, not only in the UK but in every country it has aired.

“With two new versions launching and more in the pipeline, as well as the previously announced US version and returning series, the brand is set to make a step change in 2019 and that is a very exciting prospect indeed for us and our brilliant international partners.”

Richard Foster, CEO of Motion Content Group commented: “We are delighted to continue to work closely with ITV Studios and the commissioning broadcasters to create funding opportunities around the Love Island phenomenon.”

Viewing records were smashed in several territories in 2018, with Germany joining the UK and Australia in achieving huge ratings success.

The second season on RTL II became the most streamed show on Germany’s TV Now catch-up service, while the first episode of Nine Network’s Love Island Australia garnered the highest-ever Video Player Measurement (VPM) ratings of any Australian reality show on its catch-up service 9Now, within 24 hours of broadcast. The launch of season four in the UK delivered ITV2’s highest overnight ratings since records began and was the highest-rated show across ALL channels in the 9.00PM slot.

Full of flirting, jealousy, rejection and fun, Love Island sees its occupants live the celebrity lifestyle in a stunning villa in a beautiful location. They are on the lookout for romance but as always, the road to love never runs smoothly, as they must not only choose their partner wisely but also win the hearts of the public. It’s up to the viewers to decide who they want to stay in the show as they watch the relationships develop and ultimately which pair they want to crown the hottest couple on the island.

Love Island is based on a format owned by ITV Studios and Motion Content Group Ltd and is distributed internationally by ITV Studios Global Entertainment.

ENDS

*Source: Kantar Social Media Intelligence: https://www.kantarmedia.com/uk/newsroom/press-releases/love-island-beats-politics-when-it-comes-to-most-engaging-television-content

About ITV Studios Global Entertainment

ITV Studios Global Entertainment (ITVS GE) is one of the world’s leading international TV distribution, home entertainment, publishing, merchandising and licensing businesses. ITVS GE distributes more than 45,000 hours of celebrated content across all genres from both its in-house production business, ITV Studios, and in collaboration with leading producers from around the world.

Part of ITV PLC, which includes the UK’s largest commercial broadcaster, ITV Studios Global Entertainment has offices in London, Hong Kong, Paris, Germany, Nordics, Los Angeles and Sydney.

About Motion Content Group

Motion Content Group is a global content investment and rights management company. It invests and partners with the world’s leading talent, producers and distributors to fund, develop, produce and distribute premium content.

Motion supports editorially and commercially vibrant networks and platforms by helping meet the ever-increasing demand for premium content, for the benefit of advertisers and its content partners.

Headquartered in London and Los Angeles, Motion currently operates in 26 countries worldwide and has a broad range of award-winning programming distributed globally.

Motion’s content investments include global hit and record-breaking format LOVE ISLAND (ITV Studios/Motion) produced in 11 countries with 2019 seeing the series launch on CBS in the US; Channel 4’s ground-breaking social media reality series THE CIRCLE (Studio Lambert/Motion) with international versions in production for Netflix; Sky originals family game show WILD THINGS with local productions including Russia, China and Argentina, and currently in production for RTL2 in Germany; long running series BEN FOGLE: NEW LIVES IN THE WILD (Renegade/Motion) and Indian talk show NO. 1 YAARI, now produced in five languages.

Motion has also licensed global hit formats including MASTERCHEF SINGAPORE (Endemol Shine International) and THAILAND’S GOT TALENT (Fremantle). Motion Content Group is part of GroupM, the world’s leading full-service media investment management operation, a WPP company.