Julia Stoll
Research expert covering TV and video media
Eurovision Song Contest - statistics & facts
The Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) is one of the longest-running TV programs of all time, which has grown into a music spectacle that many adore. It is watched by millions of television viewers every year. Eurovision enthusiasts won鈥檛 disagree, yet even those indifferent to the annual spectacle might concede that it has left its mark on the music industry as well. From songs, such as "Nel blu dipinto di blu鈥 (also more popular known as 鈥淰olare鈥) back in the 50s, and artists, such as ABBA and C茅line Dion in the 70s and 80s, to Loreen and M氓neskin in the new Millenium, their success at Eurovision helped launch their careers. Despite quite a few controversies that tend to follow international productions such as this, ESC remains relevant in the world of music to this day.
In response to many of the controversies, the Eurovision Song Contest has often been declared irrelevant, and many times its end has been predicted to be near throughout its history. The EBU claims to take the criticism seriously, but the upcoming months will show, which changes, if any, will be made for the 70-year-jubilee edition in Austria. One thing is certain - the many millions of fans around Europe and worldwide should not be underestimated when making decisions about the future of the competition.
What is Eurovision?
In the 1950鈥檚, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) envisioned a music competition broadcast across Europe that should unify the people of a war-torn continent. It was known as the Eurovision Grand Prix back in the day. Today, during three live shows 鈥 two semifinals and one Grand Final 鈥 traditionally taking place in May, an artist from each participating country enters the contest to perform one original song. The TV audience, as well as a jury from every country then awards points to the other contestants' songs to determine the winner. The winning country customarily hosts the following year's competition. In 2026, this will fall to Austria.Modern day communications help artists break through
Back in the day, the exposure to millions of television viewers and radio listeners helped raise the popularity of songs and artists. While this is still true today, the Internet and social media also do their part now. A recent example was Rosa Linn, who represented Armenia in 2022 with her song 鈥淪nap鈥, which, despite only reaching the lower region of the scoreboard at Eurovision, became a huge hit with the help of TikTok and Instagram reels. The Internet is also a space, where a lot of the buzz around Eurovision is happening today. The Eurovision fandom has now the possibility to stream national selection programs, and thus to accompany their favorites throughout the whole season. The ESC itself is present on social media with millions of followers, and its YouTube channel is gaining new subscribers every month.Is it all unity and peace?
Yet the internet is also a space that allows for easy opinion sharing among fandoms, which in turn helps spread controversies and complaints much faster. The claim that this musical celebration of Europe has become too political is as old as the competition itself. In recent years, criticism of ESC touched on voting procedures and inconsistencies, allegations of sound manipulation during performances, creating false impressions for the TV viewership, or the lack of transparency on the part of the EBU. Disapproval also comes from participating countries, claiming that the whole contest has grown too big and expensive. After several countries dropped out due to financial reasons, calls to slim Eurovision down again have recently emerged.In response to many of the controversies, the Eurovision Song Contest has often been declared irrelevant, and many times its end has been predicted to be near throughout its history. The EBU claims to take the criticism seriously, but the upcoming months will show, which changes, if any, will be made for the 70-year-jubilee edition in Austria. One thing is certain - the many millions of fans around Europe and worldwide should not be underestimated when making decisions about the future of the competition.
