The newest drama surrounding Love Island USA isn’t unfolding inside the villa in Fiji—it’s happening among Canadian viewers trying to watch the show.
Season 8 of the hit reality dating series premiered this week with a fresh lineup of singles ready to bring romance, rivalries, and plenty of twists. However, fans in Canada have discovered that keeping up with the latest season may now come at a cost.
While Crave is making the first five episodes available for free, viewers will need a paid subscription to continue watching the rest of the season. Unlike previous years, the full series will no longer be available for free on CTV’s streaming platforms.
The change follows Bell Media’s decision to shut down its standalone CTV streaming app and move all content to Crave, its subscription-based streaming service.
As a result, Love Island USA has become the latest show to move behind a paywall, leaving many fans debating whether the summer’s endless recouplings, surprise twists, and dramatic text messages are worth paying for.
The decision quickly sparked reactions online.
“Is CTV really not giving us free episodes this year???” one user wrote on TikTok.
“How are my canadian baddies watching love island tn bc i refuse to pay for crave,” another posted on X.
A third fan simply asked, “Where am I supposed to watch love island for free???”
Why the Change?
Bell Media said in a news release that the move is intended to “[create] a more seamless, high-quality streaming experience in one destination.”
For viewers who are not already subscribed to Bell services or Crave, however, the change means adding another monthly streaming expense. Crave subscriptions currently start at around $12 per month for its ad-supported plan.
Media analyst Wade Payson-Denney said the shift reflects broader changes in how audiences consume entertainment.
“You have to meet consumers where they are,” he said.
“People are on their phones more, they’re less likely to watch broadcast TV. So in a way it does make sense to migrate more of that content to streaming only.”
He noted that sports broadcasting has followed a similar path, with streaming services increasingly securing exclusive rights to major sporting events. One example is Prime Video’s Monday Night Hockey, which requires a subscription to watch.
Will Fans Still Tune In?
According to freelance entertainment reporter Saleah Blancaflor, the move is likely aimed at monetizing younger audiences, though it may come with challenges.
She said there is “a bit of a disconnect” between what streaming companies want and how viewers feel about the growing number of paid platforms.
“Gen Z, they do feel streaming fatigue and that there’s this overwhelming amount of streaming options out there, and it’s getting more expensive,” Blancaflor said.
Despite concerns over rising subscription costs, she believes Love Island USA will continue attracting a large audience.
The show’s fast-paced format, which airs six episodes each week, creates what she describes as “a certain kind of FOMO”—the fear of missing out.
“People don’t want to miss the storylines … or what their favourite contestants are doing, so they’re going to tune into it in any way that they can to be a part of the conversation.”
Whether fans choose to subscribe or find another way to stay updated, one thing is clear: Love Island USA remains one of the summer’s most talked-about reality shows.
Harnaik Singh Rathor is the Founder, Publisher, and Editor-in-Chief of StudioX News Canada, Canada's multilingual digital news network serving diaspora communities across 44 languages. With a background in media production, public relations, and multicultural communications, he founded StudioX Film and TV Corporation to bridge the gap between mainstream Canadian media and the country's diverse immigrant communities. He is a member of the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), RTDNA Canada, CPRS Vancouver, Unifor, NEPMCC, and the Canada Freelance Union. Based in Surrey, British Columbia. | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harnaiksinghrathor/ | Muck Rack: https://muckrack.com/harnaiksinghrathor | Email: editor@studioxnews.ca
