How To Watch 'Love Island' and More ITV Shows After Sky Merger

Britain's television landscape is facing its biggest shake-up in decades after Sky agreed a £1.6 billion deal to acquire ITV's Media & Entertainment division – but viewers will still be able to watch 'Love Island', 'Coronation Street' and other ITV favourites in the same way for now.

For millions of fans, the immediate concern is simple: will their favourite shows disappear behind a paywall? Sky has insisted its biggest programmes will remain free to watch, and the transition is expected to take time, meaning little will change in the short term.

Sky–ITV Deal Sparks Questions Over Streaming Future

The proposed deal covers ITV's free-to-air television channels, its advertising business and the ITVX streaming platform, creating one of the UK's largest commercial broadcasters.

However, one important piece of the puzzle is staying separate: ITV Studios, the production company behind 'Love Island', 'I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!', 'Coronation Street' and dozens of other programmes, will continue operating as an independent business.

Sky has also committed to a long-term content agreement with ITV Studios, ensuring viewers should continue seeing many of their favourite shows in the years ahead.

For viewers wondering whether they need to rush out and buy a Sky subscription, there is little reason to do so. Both companies have stressed that ITV will remain a public service broadcaster, with its free-to-air channels continuing to operate as normal.

That means programmes including 'Love Island' will still be available on ITV's traditional television channels, while catch-up episodes and live streaming are expected to remain available through ITVX.

So, how can you watch 'Love Island' after the merger? At present, very little changes. You can continue watching new episodes live on ITV, or stream them on ITVX, where current episodes and previous seasons remain available on demand.

Sky has specifically said that flagship programmes such as 'Love Island' and 'Coronation Street' will continue to be offered free-to-air despite the change in ownership. The same applies to ITV shows including 'Emmerdale', 'This Morning', 'Loose Women' and 'I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!'.

What The Sky Deal Means For ITV Viewers

The bigger picture behind the deal is the growing pressure traditional broadcasters face from streaming services such as Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video.

By combining Sky's subscription business with ITV's free-to-air channels and ITVX streaming service, executives hope to create a stronger British competitor capable of keeping viewers at home rather than losing them to international platforms.

That does not mean the merger is a done deal. Before anything officially changes, the acquisition must pass regulatory scrutiny, including reviews by competition authorities and media regulators. The approval process is expected to take between 12 and 18 months, meaning viewers are unlikely to notice any immediate differences to how they watch ITV programming.

Questions remain about what the long-term viewing experience could look like. Industry analysts expect Sky to invest heavily in ITVX, potentially introducing new features and expanding its streaming ambitions while maintaining ITV's public service obligations.

There may eventually be closer integration between Sky and ITV's digital services, but neither company has announced any immediate changes to viewing arrangements.

For now, the message to viewers is straightforward. If you already watch 'Love Island' on ITV or stream it on ITVX, you do not need to change anything. Reality shows, soaps and dramas are expected to remain where they have always been while regulators examine one of the most significant broadcasting deals in British television history.

For viewers, that is the bottom line: when the next series of 'Love Island' begins, you will still be able to watch it in the same way you always have, at least while the merger works its way through regulators.