LottoStar withdraws as sponsor of Love Island SA on M-Net

Cast of Love Island SA.

• LottoStar no longer sponsors Love Island SA on M-Net.
• The company said in a statement on Twitter: “We wish the show and its contestants great success.”
• This comes after the show faced criticism for its lack of diversity and a series of technical problems.

LottoStar has withdrawn as title sponsor of the M-Net dating reality show Love Island South Africa.

In a statement Tuesday afternoon, the director of LottoStar said on Twitter: “LottoStar has made the decision to respectfully withdraw its sponsorship of Love Island SA. We wish the show and its contestants every success. “

SEE THE TWEET HERE:

A company spokesperson declined to elaborate and say why it canceled its sponsorship or when it first learned of the firestorm that had gripped. Love Island SA.

LottoStar is also a sponsor of The Bachelorette South Africa, which is produced by the same production company, Rapid Blue, and transmitted by M-Net (DStv 101).

Very serious questions were raised about the lack of diverse casting on the show, while DStv subscribers and TV critics also criticized the poor. Love Island SA production values, ranging from sound and editing to music, voice-over narration, cinematography, as well as the boring vineyard bungalow bedroom the show calls a villa.

MultiChoice and M-Net did not respond to specific questions posed about the show’s production on Monday, but issued a terse statement Monday night: “We pride ourselves on reflecting the diversity and inclusiveness of all of our shows, including Love Island.” .

READ MORE | DStv on Love Island SA backlash: ‘We are proud of diversity’

MultiChoice and M-Net have not made the debut episode of Love Island SA available on its DStv Catch Up service, but added Monday night’s second episode, which also contains bugs, on Tuesday morning.

Meanwhile, international reports on Love Island SA appeared in the BBC, CNN, Y various foreign newspapers Monday.

As questions arise about the look of the show and its low production values, South African television producers have been calling Love Island SA “a dumpster fire”.

The producers say the show’s poor quality is damaging the reputation of the entire country’s television industry and that while they are still fighting the impact of Covid-19, Love Island SA it is inflicting collective damage on the industry and Rapid Blue must do better as it is damaging the country’s international credibility to do international series.

* Channel24 contacted M-Net for comment and will update the article if more information becomes available.