Love Island wins hearts and ratings with massive digital audience

Love Island has won the hearts of TV viewers everywhere, smashing digital viewing records on 9now and attracting massive audiences of 16-39s online. 

Around 261,000 people tuned in last night to see Grant Crapp and Tayla Damir clinch victory and $50,000 in prize money in the 9GO reality show - in addition to the 25,000 who livestreamed it.

Eden Dally and Erin Barnett finished up as runners-up while Josh Moss and Amelia Marni came in third place in the grand finale.

WATCH THE FULL EPISODE AGAIN ON 9NOW

Love Island has become Nine's most-streamed live non-sport program and is the number one multi-channel program among people aged between 25-54 and 16-39.

The show generated a staggering 142 million views online in total.

Hamish Turner Nine’s Program Director said: "Love Island has reengaged a youth audience and redefined how audience consumption content across multiple platforms.

"Love Island has provided a blueprint into where the future of television lies and the importance of having an audience first approach."

Of the 16-39-year-old audience, just as many watched it live on their devices or caught up with the show on demand, figures show, with the show dominating digital OzTAM digital rankings.

The vast majority of the 16-39 age group chose to watch it on 9Now, making up 57 per cent of the total audience figures.

Total consolidated views, which included linear TV live screams on 9Now and on demand, for the big budget show averaged more than 500,000 viewers per episode.

While the show only reeled in 200,000 viewers in its early days, that quickly changed as Aussies became hooked on the highs and lows of the big budget show which features a group of fit single Aussies on a Spanish island.

One clip which saw the boys treat the girls in the group to a strip tease generated 1.9 million views alone.