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Love Island to be adapted in US

The recently concluded UK Love Island was won by Jack Fincham and Dani Dyer

US broadcast network CBS has ordered a local version of ITV’s breakout UK format hit Love Island.

CBS has picked up the US rights to the format, which is owned by ITV Studios and Motion Content Group, from the commercial broadcaster’s distribution arm ITV Studios Global Entertainment.

The US version will be produced by ITV Entertainment, part of ITV America.

The modern version of the Love Island format is based on a show that first aired on UK commercial broadcaster ITV in 2005, with 12 single celebrities spending a week together on an island in Fiji.

The original was axed in 2006 after two runs, before returning with a bang on in 2015 on ITV’s youth-skewing ITV2, where it has quickly grown into a cultural phenomenon and the network’s most watched show ever. Season four of the rebooted version finished last week.

The revamped format sees a group of non-celebrity singletons live together in a tropical villa where they must couple up and then win the hearts of viewers to avoid elimination by completing challenges. The most convincing couple wins a cash prize at the end.

Sharon Vuong, senior VP of alternative programming for CBS, announced the deal this afternoon. “Love Island has been a massive success overseas. It’s currently seen, or about to premiere, in several European countries as well as Australia, and we’re thrilled that ITV has partnered with us to bring their most successful show to American television,” she said.

David George, CEO of ITV America, added: “As a format, Love Island breaks the mould with high levels of viewer interactivity and participation that influence the content of the show in a way that’s extremely addictive.”

Earlier today it was announced that the Australian version of the show will also air on ITVBe in the UK.

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