Islanders, get ready because summer is officially kicking off Monday — Well, maybe not for everyone. Love Island, the popular UK-based reality dating show is coming back for its fifth season. While the villa is smoldering with drama and new love, U.S. fans may need to wait to get in on the action.
Season 1–4 of Love Island is currently available to stream on Hulu but it is not immediately clear when the newest season will be added to the streaming service. Fortunately, there may still be a way for American fans to watch the British series.
To watch the newest season of Love Island live, a VPN (Virtual Private Network) is required. Using this network will change the location of your IP address, tricking your computer into thinking it's in the UK, thereby granting access to UK-based shows.
VPN services need to be downloaded to your computer and often require a subscription fee, which varies between providers. PC Mag curated a list of its Top 10 VPN providers, which can be viewed here.
Alternatively, if a VPN is not up your alley, TVPlayer.com is a free and easy way to watch most UK channels online. The free streaming service is available through a computer or mobile app, simply sign up.
Not feeling any new subscriptions or accounts? Well, you can simply wait for Season 5 to drop on Hulu (and binge previous seasons in the meantime) or watch Love Island U.S. on CBS, premiering July 9. Yes, you heard that right, Love Island is coming to the states.
"Love Island has been a massive success overseas," Sharon Vuong, senior VP alternative programming at CBS, told The Hollywood Reporter last year. "We're thrilled that ITV has partnered with us to bring their most successful show to American television. Having seen the reaction of audiences across the pond and around the world to this most recent season, we expect American viewers will be captivated by this engaging format."
"As a format, Love Island breaks the mold with high levels of viewer interactivity and participation that influence the content of the show in a way that's extremely addictive," said David George, CEO of ITV America. "It's a cultural phenomenon that builds anticipation with every episode and creates appointment viewing — a pretty hard thing to do in today's TV landscape. We're ecstatic the show has found a home at CBS and look forward to working collaboratively to engage its millions of viewers."
Love Island Season 5 premieres on ITV2 Monday at 4 p.m. ET.
