After ITV canceled the latest entry of Love Island, a reality dating series in which couples swap partners until they meet the love of their life, producers shifted their focus to the Love Island mobile game as a source of revenue.

The mobile game, which had generated over £25m in the past two years, launched in 2018 and is now on its third season. A role-playing game that mirrors the drama on the show, Love Island: The Game has more than 13 million players who are tasked with creating participants and engaging in all the dating drama.

During the lockdown, the game has drawn 500,000 new users a month. Nearly 90% of players are female and most are in the 19 to 24 age range. In other words, the game is a cash cow for advertisers. In addition, the game, which is available worldwide, unlike the series, is its own media property. Only 30% of players actually watch the show, which has far fewer fans than the game.

According to Wil Stephens, the chief exec of Fusebox, the developers of Love Island: The Game, the coronavirus lockdown has helped the game grow much faster than expected. Given that the action takes place on a sun-soaked island, the game is ideal for those looking to escape home confinement.

In terms of advertising, the game doesn’t focus on ad interruptions. Instead, it looks to push optional cosmetic purchases. The developers are aware that engagement is crucial and aggressive advertising would be counterproductive.

Love Island: The Game, which averages $0.88 in revenue per active daily use, estimates that 17% of players become paying customers. Most of the revenue— $8.7 million — has been generated through the sale of digital clothing items.

Despite the cancellation of the series, the game will introduce a new installment. Stephens also promises that the game will continue to improve and focus on engaging users. In addition, ITV plans to introduce a YouTube series to further develop the franchise.

In the US, Love Island has 2 million players, many drawn to the game after the show launched on CBS last year. This cross-engagement has been invaluable to the television series, whose future remains uncertain until after the pandemic passes.

Source: TheDrum

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