Love Island sets new ITV Hub record as viewing figures survive competition from Euro 2020 and Wimbledon

Hit ITV2 reality show returned to screens after a year off due to the pandemic

The first viewership ratings for Love Island’s seventh series have been released, following its premiere on ITV2 last night (28 June).

The popular reality series became the most-watched digital channel programme of the year for people in the 16 to 34 age group, and set a new record on the ITV Hub.

Live viewing figures may have been impacted by the popularity of concurrent sports programming, as ITV2’s broadcast of the overlapped with the dramatic France vs Switzerland football fixture at the Euros, as well as live tennis at Wimbledon.

According to ITV, Love Island reached a peak audience of 3.3 million viewers across all devices, becoming the biggest digital channel audience of the year across any channel. ITV note that the number is is on par with the previous series’ launch.

One million ITV Hub viewers across the episode constituted a new launch record for the series, while the episode garnered 2.9 million streams in total.

Deadline cites figures from overnights.tv, suggesting that Love Island was watched by 2.47 million viewers on live TV.

In comparison, the premiere of the 2019 series of Love Island (the last series to take place during the summer, after the pandemic delayed 2020’s instalment) drew 3.3 million live viewers. Last year’s winter edition drew 2.5M for its first episode. These figures would make the episode Love Island’s lowest-rated series premiere since 2017 (which got 1.3 million).

However, once recorded viewings and streaming on ITV Hub and BritBox are factored in, Deadline stipulates that the audience figures are expected to grow considerably.

Love Island is expected to run for eight weeks this summer, airing on ITV2 throughout July and August. You can find a complete rundown of this year’s contestants here.

You can click here to read The Independent’s review of the first episode, or here to watch our video Q&A with past winner Jack Fincham.