Reality-show watch parties are taking off at Tacoma’s premier soccer pub
Doyle’s Public House in Tacoma has recently been attracting a new crowd of regulars, but they’re not there for sports.
Instead, hoards of young women (and some men, too) have been showing up to watch “Love Island.”
The reality show, spawned in the U.K., brings a group of young, hot singles to an island villa and compels them to couple up. The winning couple receives a hefty prize – 50,000 euros in the U.K. and $100,000 in the U.S.
It’s fair to say the show is a phenomenon. The U.S. version, which airs on Peacock, broke streaming records in past seasons, and the first few episodes of the latest season have already pulled in over 820 million viewers.
There’s no shortage of content. New episodes come out six days a week and clock in around an hour each, totaling over 30 episodes a season.
Doyle’s has been airing new episodes for the last two weeks, using the massive outdoor screen that’s usually used for soccer matches. If the weather isn’t complying, watch parties move inside.
The watch parties were spurred by a June 1 TikTok video from local Rachel Smith. “Can you help me convince Doyle’s to host Love Island watch nights in Tacoma, Washington?” the onscreen text read.
“Last season, I remember there were watch parties that were happening around the country, but I never really heard of any in our area,” Smith told The News Tribune.
The video caught the attention of Doyle’s, which agreed to host the season premiere, and eventually, nearly the entire season.
Russ Heaton, owner of Doyle’s, said he was happy to do it if people were interested, as long as the watch parties didn’t overlap with the World Cup, which might as well be the Super Bowl for the pub.
Watching the show with an audience is much more fun than watching alone, Smith said. Last season, she would FaceTime her friends during episodes.
“It’s kind of like being in a book club,” Smith said.
People gather at bars to watch a game, so why can’t a game be swapped with a reality show?
After attending two watch parties (one inside due to inclement weather, one outside on a beautiful, sunny afternoon), the atmosphere is not all that different from watching, say, a soccer match. Viewers watched just as intently, reacted just as passionately.
“Whoa” frequently was exclaimed when something unexpected happened, and there were plenty of boos when one “Islander” assured his chosen girl that he didn’t want to kiss other people (despite kissing someone else in the same episode).
That scene also prompted a viewer to point at the screen and yell, “Liar!”
Lots of viewers arrived as strangers but ended up chatting with the person next to them, bonding over the shared interest. Heaton said the watch parties could be a “conduit for connectivity,” and viewers agree.
Callie Brown, who was at Tuesday’s watch party, said she wanted to come for a sense of community and getting to react with people together.
“I think especially [with] a group of girls, it’s funny to see how everybody else reacts,” Brown said.
The full “Love Island” watch party schedule is on Doyle’s website. Most start at 6 p.m., but some are later to accommodate World Cup matches.
That means you can enjoy “Love Island” and the World Cup, all in one night. Come for the soccer, stay for the drama (or vice versa).
