122 Million Viewers for Eurovision

GENEVA: More than 122 million viewers across Europe tuned in to watch the Eurovision Song Contest this year, according to the EBU, up from 105 million last year.

The 54th edition, organized by the EBU with Channel One Russia, was held May 12, 14 and 16 at the Olympiyski Indoor Arena in Moscow. It was won by Norway’s Alexander Rybak with the song Fairytale. The audience share for the finale was double the Saturday night prime-time average in several of the 45 countries that aired the show. And the average audience share across all countries was 43.1 percent, compared to the normal Saturday night average of 18.4 percent. 

“Every year, millions of viewers from Iceland to Azerbaijan watch the Eurovision Song Contest," said Bjørn Erichsen, the director of Eurovision TV. "It is a rare example of a cultural event which brings people across the continent together to celebrate Europe’s diversity."

Svante Stockselius, the EBU’s executive supervisor for the song contest, added: "The impeccable TV productions of the past years and continuous improvement in the standard of songs, have made it (the Eurovision Song Contest) a unique event and one of the most watched live TV entertainment programs in the world. We are confident that the contest will continue to attract millions of viewers, especially as it develops more and more into an interactive event."