{"id":715997,"date":"2026-06-05T04:25:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T04:25:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/715997\/"},"modified":"2026-06-05T04:25:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T04:25:08","slug":"sorry-canada-you-cant-watch-love-island-usa-for-free-anymore","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/715997\/","title":{"rendered":"Sorry Canada, you can’t watch Love Island USA for free anymore"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The latest bombshell to enter the villa isn’t in Fiji. It’s in Canada.<\/p>\n

Season 8 of Love Island USA premiered this week, back with a fresh cast of singles set to bring the heat and the drama fans love. But Canadians hoping to watch for free are out of luck. <\/p>\n

Viewers can no longer stream the series free on CTV platforms. Instead, they’ll need a Crave subscription.<\/p>\n

That’s because Bell Media has discontinued its CTV streaming app, moving all its content to Crave, its subscription streaming service.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The show is the latest victim of the streaming paywall, leaving fans wondering if a summer of text messages and re-couplings is worth the extra cash.<\/p>\n

“Is CTV really not giving us free episodes this year???” one user wrote on TikTok<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“how are my canadian baddies watching love island tn bc i refuse to pay for crave,” one wrote on X.<\/a><\/p>\n

“Where am I supposed to watch love island for free???” wrote another.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Bell Media said in a news release<\/a> that the move is intended to “[create] a more seamless, high-quality streaming experience in one destination.” <\/p>\n

But for loyal viewers who aren’t Bell or Crave subscribers, the change means another monthly expense. Subscriptions start around $12\/month for a standard plan with ads.<\/p>\n

Media analyst Wade Payson-Denney says it’s not a huge surprise to see another established broadcaster move in this direction. <\/p>\n

“You have to meet consumers where they are,” he said. <\/p>\n

“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.”<\/p>\n

He points to sports as an example, with many streamers now striking deals with major leagues to offer games exclusively on their apps, requiring a subscription to watch, Prime’s Monday Night Hockey being one example.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘A certain kind of FOMO’<\/p>\n

The move is likely about capitalizing on younger audiences, freelance entertainment reporter Saleah Blancaflor says, but there’s “a bit of a disconnect.”<\/p>\n

“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. <\/p>\n

Still, she says viewers will likely tune in in big numbers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She points to “a certain kind of FOMO,” or fear of missing out, that fans might feel, especially with a show that’s so constant and fast moving. (It airs six episodes a week.)<\/p>\n

“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.”<\/p>\n