The reality dating show, The Ultimatum: Queer Love, has been cancelled by Netflix. The cancellation is a massive blow to many fans from the LGBTQ+ community who the show had amassed during its two-season run.
The Ultimatum: Queer Love was a spin-off of The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On (the straight version). It followed the often messy, drama-filled dating lives of a cast of queer and non-binary women.
Netflix has not given the exact reason for the cancellation, but industry insiders, news outlets, and fans have hinted at possible factors that could have led to it. Below is a look at some of these factors:
Decline in viewership
Netflix uses several performance metrics when deciding whether to review a show, the major one being viewership numbers. Several online reports have suggested that The Ultimatum: Queer Love’s declining viewership may have led to its cancellation.
The queer dating show premiered in May 2024, and the first season was a huge hit, spending two weeks on Netflix’s global Top 10 chart. The second season, released in June 2025, was less successful, failing to reach the global Top 10.
However, according to Variety, which broke the news of the show’s cancellation, The Ultimatum: Queer Love reached the Netflix Top 10 charts in five countries.
The list of five countries where the queer dating show reached the top 10 is not available. However, the TV series enjoyed a substantial following in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Brazil.
The first season of The Ultimatum: Queer Love received a strong fan reception. This was particularly the case amongst the LGBTQ+ community, with many fans enjoying representation of queer relationships in mainstream media.
Besides the queer community, the show also enjoyed a positive reception amongst critics and other audiences, with many viewers finding the drama and messy relationships addictive and fascinating.
Unfortunately, the second season was not as popular, with some fans complaining about issues like potentially poor casting, a heterosexual host, and accusations of sensationalizing unhealthy and toxic relationships.
These issues are likely the reason why the show experienced a decline in viewership, potentially leading to its cancellation.
Financial considerations and internal restructuring
According to Scene Magazine, a UK-based LGBTQ+ news outlet, industry insiders have hinted that The Ultimatum: Queer Love could have been cancelled due to commercial viability and Netflix’s internal restructuring.
From a financial perspective, the decline in viewership during the second season could have significantly impacted the show’s commercial viability. In most cases, high viewership on Netflix translates into higher subscriber retention and acquisition, leading to a greater bottom line.
Netflix also offers an ad-supported plan, with the company earning revenue when subscribers view ads.
Therefore, the show’s viewership decline would have led to a drop in revenue, supporting the claim that financial considerations were at play.
As of now, no evidence has been presented to show that the queer dating show’s cancellation was the result of Netflix’s internal restructuring or any other internal strategies.
However, many fans and news outlets have noted that The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On was renewed for its fourth season in July 2025.
Cancelling the queer show while renewing the straight version has led to speculation about Netflix’s content priorities. Some individuals, particularly queer fans, have suggested that this is an indication of Netflix prioritizing heterosexual shows over queer ones.
However, so far, there is nothing official that suggests that Netflix cancelled The Ultimatum: Queer Love because the show was queer. In fact, it should be noted that the streaming giant has gained a reputation for ruthlessly cancelling shows.
A pattern of cancellation for queer shows
Netflix may not have axed The Ultimatum: Queer Love because it was queer. However, its cancellation adds to a grim, industry-wide pattern of networks cancelling shows with queer representation.
According to Autostraddle, there are few queer reality dating shows, and the ones that have come in the past have experienced relatively short runs.
However, cancellation of shows with queer representation extends beyond reality dating, in what has since been dubbed the “Cancel Your Gays” trend.
Netflix has been in trouble before for cancelling popular queer shows like First Kill, One Day at a Time, Uncoupled, The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself, Fate: The Winx Saga, 1899, I’m Not Okay With This, Sense8, and Warrior Nun.
Unfortunately, the problem might extend beyond the media industry. Some LGBTQ+ advocates have expressed concerns that the current political climate in the United States is driving the cancellation of queer shows.
Backlash after The Ultimatum: Queer Love was cancelled
The Ultimatum: Queer Love’s cancellation has sparked significant backlash, with many fans angry at Netflix for axing the show.
Cast members also weighed in on the cancellation, with some suggesting the decision was not based on viewership or money.
Bridget Matloff, a season 2 cast member, took to TikTok, where she appeared to suggest that the decision to cancel the queer dating show was homophobic.
“The reality TV world is so far behind… If they want to say they’re not homophobic, then cancel the straight one.”
Haley Drexler, another season two participant, also reacted by commenting on a Them post on Instagram:
“Craaaaazy work only cancelling the queer version.”
Ashley Johnson, who also appeared in season 2 of the show, commented on the Them post, writing:
“It’s actually even more messed up because they are filming season 4 of the straight ultimatum right now, but cancel the queer version only after 2 seasons. You can’t tell me it’s only because of views… always thought Netflix was homophobic even while filming our season.”
Season one participant, Tiff Der, also commented on the Them post, claiming that the queer dating show performed better than the straight version.
“Idk about season 2, but season 1 of Ultimatum queer love, the stats show that we had more views and playing minutes and outperformed straight season 1 and 2 of Ultimatum….all I gotta say is that it’s definitely not because of $$$”
Der’s claims are currently unverified. However, they appear to be backed by data from Parrot Analytics, which shows that the queer dating show had a higher audience demand than the straight version.
Loyal fans are trying to save the queer show
Since learning of the cancellation, several loyal fans of The Ultimatum: Queer Love have been trying to save the show.
Some users have suggested moving the dating show outside of the United States, where other networks would pick it up. Chrishell Stause, a queer American actress, has even revealed that she would be interested in hosting the show if it were saved.
Cast member Tiff Der also started a Change.org petition to save the show, which has so far received over 2,000 signatures.
It would be a long shot if another network picked up the show. However, it has happened before, as with Warrior Nun, which was saved after a fierce campaign by loyal fans.
However, as of now, the attempts to save the show remain only a dream that is yet (if at all) to be realized any time soon.