The final of Love Island was watched by a peak audience of more than 4 million Britons, making it the most-watched programme in ITV2 history. An average of 3.6 million viewers tuned in to see Dani Dyer and Jack Fincham win the dating show, along with a £50,000 prize.
About half of the audience were in the 16-34 age range, a demographic often difficult for broadcasters to reach. ITV claimed that Love Island was the biggest television hit among younger viewers this year, aside from World Cup football matches.
The actual viewership may be even higher, as ITV's streaming service received 1.9 million requests for live streams during the broadcast. Spin-off shows Aftersun and Hot List also drew substantial audiences, and public screening parties were held across the UK.
Love Island has become a cultural phenomenon, with strong engagement on Instagram and three million downloads of the official app. The show's production company has sold the format to Australia, Germany, and several Scandinavian countries, while a US version is reportedly in consideration.
The programme also sold 260,000 official branded water bottles at £15 each, despite attempts by the Conservative Party to produce knock-off versions.
