Greece: ERT denies reports regarding Greece’s intentions to withdraw just before the Grand Final of Eurovision 2024!

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As we informed you earlier and according to a publication by the Norwegian newspaper VK, which was also republished by the Swedish Aftonbladet, six countries – among them Greece – threatened to withdraw from the Grand Final of Eurovision. This scenario was avoided just 25 minutes before the start of the show, as an agreement was made.

Six delegations threatened to withdraw from Eurovision 2024

According to VK, the delegations from Norway, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Portugal and Greece were negotiating with EBU threatening to withdraw from the competition. The reason behind their potential withdrawal was Israel’s participation along with Joost Klein’s disqualification. Israel’s inclusion in Eurovision 2024 participants’ list, the security measures and the behavior of members from the Israeli delegation were the main causes of the frictions that arose during the week in Malmö.

Specifically, Magnus Børmark, a member of the Norwegian band Gåte, stated that:

We were considering withdrawing until the last moment. Many of us reacted to the fact that Israel had the opportunity to use Eurovision as its own political tool. Our common point was that we did not want to participate in Eurovision to be used and stigmatized in a war propaganda machine in Israel. We participated to create a space where we can unite in music – in a political situation where everyone chooses sides and hates each other.

Ultimately, the six delegations were persuaded to compete as usual, according to VK’s article, just twenty five minutes before the Grand Final began.

ERT never considered withdrawing

According EurovisionFun’s information gathered during our stay in Malmö and today, following the publication of VK’s controversial article, ERT categorically denies the article in question.

We never discussed or considered withdrawing from the competition for any reason. The publication is inadequate at least when it comes to Greece.

Additionally, they made it clear to us that ERT receives significant financial support each year from Greek citizens for both Greece’s exclusive television rights and participation in the Eurovision Contest. As a result, they would be unable to manage our nation’s participation in the contest with the same carelessness and frivolity, just moments before the show.

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the news!

Eurovision 2024: Six countries wanted to withdraw 25 minutes before the Grand Final!

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Two weeks after the Grand Final of Eurovision 2024, it became known from the Norwegian newspaper VG that six countries participating in the Saturday’s show wanted to withdraw up to twenty-five minutes before the start of the final.

The 11th of May was crucial for the contest, as reported by the newspaper, the EBU and SVT found themselves in a major critical meeting as six countries wanted to withdraw until they decided to participate.

The six countries that wanted to withdraw were the winning Switzerland, Ireland, Portugal, Norway, Greece and the United Kingdom.

Specifically, Magnus Børmark, a member of the Norwegian band Gåte, stated that:

We were considering withdrawing until the last moment. Many of us reacted to the fact that Israel had the opportunity to use Eurovision as its own political tool.

The reason the six countries wanted to withdraw was the participation of Israel and the exclusion of Joost Klein. VG writes that Israel’s participation, the extensive security measures, and the behavior of the Israeli delegation during the week were reasons for the protests,” adds Børmark:

Our common point was that we did not want to participate in Eurovision to be used and stigmatized in a war propaganda machine in Israel. We participated to create a space where we can unite in music – in a political situation where everyone chooses sides and hates each other.

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding Eurovision Song Contest 2025!

Source: VG

Eurovision 2024: The call for a boycott of Eurovision 2024 has failed!

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With the official viewing figures, as well as the impact of this year’s contest on the internet and on social media having been made public, one thing is clear, the various calls for a boycott of Eurovision 2024 have fallen on deaf ears, since it seems that the 68th Eurovision Song Contest Eurovision gathered the highest percentage of television viewing in Europe since 2006!

The viewership for all public broadcasters, recorded at Eurovision 2024, was 46.7%, while for under-24s it was over 50%. In Iceland, which has been discussed so much, it was made public by the publication of letters to abstain from this year’s competition, signed by thousands of citizens and artists of the country, the TV viewing recorded for another year outrageous numbers, despite the fact that the country was excluded from the final. In total, Eurovision 2024 was watched by 163 million people, one million more than last year’s contest.

The voting for Rest Of The World included votes from 156 countries, 12 more than last year, while 1.6 million users watched the competition live on YouTube, 18% more than last year!

Eurovision 2024: The 68th Eurovision Song Contest broke all records!

If you include in all this the fact that Israel took second place in the televoting, winning the most 12 votes (15 in total), in the countries with the largest population (UK, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Netherlands) , then realizes that those who supported the boycott of the competition were simply a noisy minority and not the majority of the television audience, who clearly had a different opinion.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the updates!

Eurovision 2024: The 68th Eurovision Song Contest broke all records!

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The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 witnessed unprecedented success across multiple platforms, engaging a vast audience both in Europe and worldwide. A staggering 163 million viewers tuned in to the event through public service media channels, showcasing its widespread appeal. Votes were cast from 156 countries globally, underscoring the Contest’s international reach and significance.

Of particular note is the remarkable youth audience share, the highest on record, indicating the enduring popularity of Eurovision among younger demographics. Leveraging the power of social media, videos featuring #Eurovision2024 garnered an impressive 6.5 billion views on TikTok, marking a substantial increase of 1.7 billion views compared to the previous year’s hashtag. The Contest also achieved a significant milestone by reaching nearly 500 million accounts on TikTok, quadrupling the reach compared to 2023.

Furthermore, the official ESC 2024 playlist emerged as the most-streamed Spotify playlist and featured in the Top 10 Apple Music playlists globally on Sunday 12 May reflecting the Contest’s influence on music consumption trends.

The 68th Eurovision Song Contest (ESC), hosted by Sveriges Television (SVT) in Malmö, brought audiences around the world together on both linear and online platforms. 

The Eurovision Song Contest 2024, organized by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), reached 163 million people over the 3 live shows across 37 public service media markets.*

The total reach of the Contest increased by 1 million people compared to 2023 and has grown by 2 million since 2022’s Contest in Turin.

The viewing share of the Grand Final was 46.7% – the highest share since 2006 and almost triple the broadcast channels average (17.6%).

Among Youth audiences (15-24 year olds), the viewing share of the Grand Final was 58.6%, the highest share on record and more than 4 times the broadcast channels average (13.7%).

Host country Sweden achieved a similar audience to last year’s edition, with 2.3 million viewers tuning in for the Grand Final.. With 87.3%, their viewing share is the highest recorded for the Eurovision Song Contest since 2000.

Switzerland, who won the Contest for the third time, achieved an average audience of 723,000 viewers across the three linguistic regions, up 40% on 2023. In the three regions, the viewing share was the highest ever recorded.

Germany recorded the highest audience for the Grand Final with an average of 8.1 million viewers watching on Das Erste and ONE. The United Kingdom had the second highest audience with 7.7 million viewers tuning in for the Grand Final on BBC One.

France achieved an audience of 5.4 million viewers, an increase of 1.9 million compared to last year’s edition.

Greece achieved their best audience since 2011, with 2.8 million viewers, more than double last year’s performance.

Ireland had their biggest audience since 2013 with 650,000 viewers, close to double last year’s figures.

Latvia also had the most viewers watching in nearly a decade with 252,000 viewers, more than quadrupling last year’s performance. The viewing share was 61.8%, the highest performance since 2007.

In close to half of the markets (18 out of 37), the ESC claimed over 50% of the viewing share, led by Iceland with 96% and closely followed by other Nordic markets (Sweden 87.3%, Norway 85.5% and Finland 83.1%), Croatia (73.2%) and Lithuania (70.2%).

2nd placed Croatia, who gained their best ever result in the Contest, achieved their highest ESC audience and viewing share on record since 2006, with 1.1 million viewers and 73.2%, respectively.

During the week of the event, 7.3 million unique viewers watched the live shows on the Official ESC YouTube channel, either as they happened or on replay.

Concurrent views of the Grand Final on YouTube peaked at 1.6m, 17.8% more than Liverpool 2023, with record online views of the First and Second Semi-Finals too; nearly 35% of online viewers were aged between 13 and 24.

VOTES FROM OVER 150 COUNTRIES

This year public voting was open before the 3 live shows in non-participating countries and throughout the performances in the Grand Final resulting in viewers from 156 countries casting votes for their favourite songs – 12 more than when Rest of the World voting was introduced in 2023.

Outside the participating countries, viewers in the USA, Canada, Romania, Mexico, UAE, Türkiye, South Africa, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria cast the most votes online.

RECORD ONLINE ENGAGEMENT

Online the Eurovision Song Contest’s digital platforms had another record year.**

486 million unique accounts were reached on TikTok, the ESC’s Official Entertainment Partner, during the event weeks, more than 4 times as many as in 2023.

TikTok also saw a total of 538 million videos views on the official Eurovision account – up 71% year-on-year.

Videos on the platform using #Eurovision2024 have been watched 6.5 billion times – up 1.7 billion on last year’s hashtag.

69 million unique accounts were reached on Instagram – more than twice as many as in 2023.

Videos on the platform were seen 479 million times, 165% up on last year while content on the ESC Facebook page was seen by 23 million during the two event weeks.

42 million unique viewers across 231 countries and territories watched content on the official YouTube channel during the week of the Live Shows.

The Reddit r/eurovision community grew 71.8% in screen views and 27.8% in engagement year-on-year, as users followed rehearsals live and put their questions directly to artists in AMA (Ask Me Anything) interviews.

Additionally, 2.5 million people used the new Eurovision Song Contest app.

Speaking about the record results across the board, Jean Philip De Tender, EBU Deputy Director General said: 

“These incredible numbers show the Eurovision Song Contest’s huge global impact – online, on TV and importantly musically. We’re thrilled to see a growth in the hundreds of millions tuning in to the live shows on EBU Member channels and record-breaking numbers engaging with the songs and artists on our different digital platforms. Our thanks go to SVT who produced over 9 hours of world leading entertainment shows, harnessing the power of public service media to reach audiences around the world.”

Ebba Adielsson, SVT’s Executive Producer of ESC 2024 added:

“I am so proud of our team, who worked with such dedication and passion towards the goal of delivering three fantastic shows for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. The hosts, Petra Mede and Malin Åkerman, the participating artists, the interval acts and our set and lighting design – we believe it all came together with huge success and took the Eurovision Song Contest to the next level. It is a breathtaking thought that 163 million viewers watched the shows and that people from over 150 countries were engaged in voting, United By Music.”

GLOBAL MUSICAL SUCCESS

The Eurovision Song Contest continues to produce worldwide hits and promote music from across the participating nations in 2024.

In the week following the ESC Grand Final, 9 of this year’s entries were ranked in the ESNS Radar Radio Airplay Chart Top 100***.

The official Eurovision Song Contest 2024 playlist on Spotify was once again the most-streamed Spotify playlist globally on the day after the Grand Final.

Spotify’s Global 200 chart for all streaming across the world also saw 6 entries from 2024 break into the Top 200 on the same day with winner Nemo having the highest entry at #17 and the entries from the Netherlands, Croatia, France, Ukraine and Italy also charting.

On 12 May, the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 was among the Top 10 playlists on Apple Music worldwide.

35 songs from this year’s event have reached the Daily Top 100 on Apple Music in 57 countries worldwide, including 23 countries where they have reached No. 1, and 42 countries where they’ve reached the Top 10.

Winning song “The Code,” by Nemo, has reached the Daily Top 100 in 44 countries, including 13 where it’s reached No. 1, and 29 where it’s reached the Top 10.

On the Official ESC YouTube channel, videos featuring Nemo, including exclusive live performances and interviews, have received 34 million views to date.

According to Shazam’s Radio Spin data, since the Grand Final, “The Code” had the most radio air play globally of all the Eurovision entries, followed by “Mon Amour” by Slimane of France and “La Noia” by Angelina Mango of Italy.

“Always on the Run” by ISAAK was the most-Shazamed song during the live Grand Final.

WIDER IMPACT

Early data and figures from the Host City, Malmö, suggests that 82,000 visitors came to the Eurovision Village during the week of the event.

Fans from 92 countries bought tickets to 9 shows during the event week which included Dress Rehearsals and live broadcasts.

Around 1,100 journalists from at least 54 countries were accredited to cover the event onsite.

The Eurovision Song Contest was hosted by SVT on 7, 9 and 11 May and broadcast in the 37 participating countries, Brazil, Chile, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Peru, USA, and online.

The shows were also broadcast on radio in 11 EBU Member countries.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DzrRxHYm_0

Source: EBU

EBU Reference Group Chair Reflects on Eurovision 2024

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Bakel Walden, the Chair of the Eurovision Song Contest Reference Group, recently shared his insights into the happenings of Eurovision 2024.

This year’s contest, held in Malmö, Sweden, was not just about music. Despite Switzerland‘s victory with Nemo‘s groundbreaking win for “The Code“, Eurovision encountered various controversies, including Joost Klein‘s disqualification and debates over Israel‘s involvement.

Walden, leading the Eurovision Song Contest Reference Group, oversees a vital committee responsible for shaping the Eurovision Song Contest’s direction. This committee approves contest formats, secures funding, and supervises host broadcasters’ preparations.

In an interview with Swiss news outlet 20 minuten, Walden, also a member of SRG’s Board of Directors, shared his thoughts on this year’s Eurovision. He will play a role in Eurovision 2025 as it returns to Switzerland.

Reflecting on Eurovision 2024, Walden acknowledged its challenges:

“As my first year as chairman, I lack a broad comparison. Yet, many experienced individuals deemed this ESC historically difficult, a sentiment I share after recent weeks and days.”

Despite difficulties, Walden highlighted the contest’s positive impact, noting the shows’ ability to “enthral millions”:

“The preparation was intense, with many highlights and significant pressure. However, the overwhelming joy and gratitude from this year’s ESC, captivating millions, stand out.”

During the winner’s press conference, Walden bestowed upon Nemo and Switzerland the opportunity to host Eurovision 2025. This task typically falls to the Executive Supervisor, Martin Österdahl, who was absent.

Addressing controversy around Nemo’s display of a non-binary flag, Walden affirmed Nemo’s adherence to Eurovision’s guidelines:

“The non-binary flag, alongside participating countries’ flags and the rainbow flag, is permissible. Regrettably, there were some onsite implementation errors. Nevertheless, Nemo acted correctly.”

Responding to Nemo’s assertion that Eurovision “needs a little bit of fixing,” Walden acknowledged room for improvement:

“In our analysis, we must not only focus on Malmö’s positive experiences but also recognize the need for improvement.”

Regarding Joost Klein’s disqualification, Walden supported the EBU’s decision:

“Regrettably, we faced an additional crisis. However, the decision to disqualify Joost Klein was correct. Unacceptable behavior towards a production employee necessitated action.”

Looking ahead to Eurovision 2025, Walden expressed ongoing involvement in the contest’s production and preparations:

“Preparations for Eurovision 2025 are already underway, with many discussions ongoing. Our supervisory board will convene again shortly.”

Walden anticipates the announcement of Eurovision 2025’s host city during the summer, emphasizing the importance of a fair and well-prepared approach.

Eurovision 2025 marks Walden’s second engagement with the Eurovision Song Contest Reference Group.

Source: 20 minuten

Croatia: Baby Lasagna Wins the “You’re A Vision Award 2024”!

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After Sheldon Riley (Australia 2022) and Käärijä (Finland 2023), the “You’re A Vision” award has a new winner. According to the public vote, Baby Lasagna from Croatia was declared the winner, showcasing the most impressive outfit at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

For those unfamiliar, the “You’re A Vision” award honors the most striking costume in the Eurovision Song Contest. This award celebrates creativity and diversity within the competition. Each year, it is presented to the contestant whose outfit stood out the most, whether it be a simple yet stunning suit or a fire-breathing dress. The award’s purpose is to highlight which outfit caught the public’s eye and who stood out the most.

Like Käärijä last year, who finished second in the Eurovision Song Contest and won the “You’re A Vision” award for the most impressive outfit, Baby Lasagna, with the song “Rim Tim Tagi Dim”, also finished second, behind Nemo from Switzerland. The costume paid homage to Croatian folklore, marking the best placement for Croatia in the Eurovision Song Contest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIBjarAiAVc

In second place for the “You’re A Vision” award was Bambie Thug from Ireland, and in third place was Joost Klein from the Netherlands.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the latest updates on Eurovision!

Source: songfestival.be

Israel: Eden Golan performs October Rain for the first time

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In a rally that took place in the center of Tel Aviv and is organized by the relatives and victims of those kidnapped by Hamas, with a request for their return, Eden Golan was present and in front of a crowd of people she performed for the first time the original version of the song with which she represented Israel in Eurovision 2024. Read more

Slovenia: Official statement from RTVSLO regarding Eurovision 2024!

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In the wake of, perhaps, the most controversial Eurovision Song Contest to date, RTVSLO, Slovenia’s national broadcaster sent out a list of questions to the EBU regarding everything that occured during this year’s Contest. This document has gone public at its full form.

RTVSLO demands answers from the EBU

Via a public statement, the Slovenian national broadcaster RTVSLO presented its questions towards the EBU in relation to some concerning events that took place at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. In the document, RTVSLO puts the televoting process and the ROTW voting’s purpose (the voting of the countries which do not take part in the Contest, yet they vote in the semifinals and in the final as one country) in doubt. Moreover, they request an explanation about the Netherlands’ disqualification from the Grand Final and question the anti-booing technology. Lastly, they raise concerns regarding the ban of certain flags inside the arena. Overall, RTVSLO is putting pressure on the EBU for a more potent and democratic policy regarding decision-making.

Slovenian RTV asked some of the most urgent questions to the EBU leadership due to the events and consequences of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. RTV Slovenia had already called for an official debate before the contest.

We point out that the Eurovision Song Contest is an extremely important project for Slovenian television, it is an event with a high spectatorship in our country and among our musicians, and that RTV Slovenia is pleased to be part of it. Therefore, after this year’s controversial Eurovision week, Slovenia is asking for concrete answers to the most pressing questions and would like these questions to encourage a broader debate on the future and development of the Eurovision Song Contest, which unfortunately has been marked by a number of controversial issues this year.

Therefore, Slovenian TV is asking the EBU for information on the Slovenian public’s vote, not only the number of votes, but precise information on how the Slovenian public voted. The overall result raises some doubts, in particular about the large number of “new” voters in the online vote, who have never been counted before.

Slovenian TV is demanding, among other things, further clarification from the EBU on the exclusion of the Netherlands; the report by some media that the actual sound image of what is happening in the hall was replaced by technical means; on the ban on the EU flag; on the possible influence of the sponsor on the content of the event…

Slovenian TV invites the EBU to discuss the “Rest of the World” vote. What is its purpose and why should the outcome of the contest be influenced by citizens of countries not participating in the Eurovision Song Contest?

Finally, Television Slovenia also asks to consider ways in which the views of EBU members can be more effectively integrated into the selection process and key decision-making or how to create a more democratic decision-making system in the future.

RTVSLO

For the time being, the EBU has not responded to the abovementioned requests submitted by RTVSLO. What is certain is that the discussion will broaden, while the EBU is receiving backlash from all sides.

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the updates!

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Cyprus: The viewership of the Eurovision Song Contest 2024!

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The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 turned out to be very popular in Cyprus. In detail, 64.8% at average, tuned in to RIK1 on Saturday night, watching the final of this year’s Contest.

Read more

Norway: Stig Karlsen to EBU “Stop Blaming Delegations and Artists”!

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Stig Karlsen, the Head of Delegation for Norway at Eurovision, has called on its organisers the EBU to “stop blaming” others for its own faults.

Eurovision 2024 was shrouded in controversy, with multiple countries complaining about a tense and unsafe environment at the contest. Speaking to Wiwibloggs after the Grand Final, Karlsen says that the EBU need to “be more humble and take responsibility for the damage done”.

Norway was reported to be one of several broadcasters that was threatening to withdraw from the contest this year. In an interview with Aftenposten, the guitarist of Norway’s entry for 2024, Gåte, said that “retiring was on the block until the last second”.

Karlsen, who is the man in charge of Norway’s entry for the Eurovision Song Contest each year, says that the Norwegian broadcaster NRK is “already holding discussions” about what happened. The plan is to then “carry these discussions over to the EBU” when they can.

“There is no doubt that the reputation of the Eurovision Song Contest has been significantly damaged this year, and it is now crucial that the EBU quickly takes action. The EBU needs to stop blaming the delegations and artists for the scandals that surrounded Eurovision 2024, and acknowledge the core problem.”

“The reputation of Eurovision goes hand in hand with MGP and all the other national finals. What the EBU does now is crucial for the future of Eurovision and the national selections as well. However, they need to act quickly. Time is running out for the broadcasters that conduct national selections. Right now, it’s a tough task to get artists, songwriters, partners, and team members to engage and commit to the project.”

This is not the first time that Karlsen has said strong words after the end of a Eurovision. Last year, after the controversial result of Eurovision 2023, Karlsen called for the voting system at the contest to change.

Gåte represented Norway in Eurovision 2024. They qualified for the Grand Final, but finished in last place, scoring 16 points overall.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the news about Eurovision 2024!

source: Wiwibloggs