How Love Island USA (does not) compare to Survivor, but is similar

CBS desperately wants you to watch Love Island tonight, whether you’re a Big Brother, Survivor or general television-watcher. Let’s see how they “compare.”

If you have ever watched a Survivor VoD commercial break the past infinity days (just a month in reality), you will have likely seen a commercial for Love Island. Apparently, a network executive at CBS really wanted to make Paradise Hotel be a thing in 2019 and are giving up five nights a week of airtime at one hour each night to bring a bunch of hot bros and hot babes together.

The show has already been pushed onto Big Brother viewers through a promotional in-network synergistic marketing opportunity™ with a Power of Veto competition, and now the official Survivor social media accounts are trying to push the showmance angle while comparing the two. They’re even pushing The Amazing Race viewers to Love Island with their best couples.

A big problem, here; Love Island is primarily a dating show and not a competition program. However, there are enough similarities between the two that it’s worth breaking down to see whether or not it’s the kind of show to interest you during this long, dry Survivor offseason.

Both Survivor and Love Island USA are prize competitions

In Survivor, you are one of 16-20 people vying for a million-dollar prize after competing in tribes, then as individuals. A series of Immunity and Reward Challenges are sprinkled in between days of social and strategic talks, as well as eventual advantage and idol runs for the eventual winner or runner-up.

Love Island is, ironically, more to Russell Hantz’s speed. There are 11 “islanders” (read: Americans vacationing in Fiji) hooking up five nights a week for a month straight where not only does America have a percentage of the vote; they control who is eliminated from the “competition.”

There are risqué competitions meant to spice things up between people who will be coupled up close to arrival, but the goal is to be loved by America by being the most likable. They receive £50,000 in the UK version.

Love Island’s average cast age rivals Ghost Island

Heading into the 36th season of Survivor, the show set a single-season casting age record for the lowest average age at 28; a two full years younger than the Survivor China cast. However, there’s no coming close to the average age of the Love Island player, coming in at a blisteringly young average age of 24.4.

What does that mean for Love Island? Well, if it goes the same way as Ghost Island did, it means one couple will steamroll their way to the end of the game, with a third person helping that winning couple out by targeting other threats and never pulling off a blindside themselves. It’s a tale as old as time.

More confirmed, less rumored, hooking up

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There have been plenty of Survivor castaways who have entered in relationships after the game is over. Duncan and Whitney from South Pacific got married after 39 days and even competed on The Amazing Race afterward. Jamie and Erik from Survivor China eventually married, as well, even after everyone at the reunion died of embarrassment over Probst’s virginity question.

Though the show has seen people hook up while the island competition is ongoing (looking at you, Boston Rob and Amber Brkich), that’s the entire point of Love Island; to be as sexually forward as possible, even with others living in close proximity. It’s as if everyone’s in a showmance, meaning there are no inherently bigger threats over another because they’re coupled up.

Love Island’s winners won’t come back on Day 39 after being voted out on Day 8

Enough said.