Now that Eurovision 2023 has finished, more details about the show and its impact have been released. Figures released by the EBU found that 162 million people watched the Grand Final of the Contest, with a massive uptake on social media for the show.
Where did the 162 million come from?
In total, 162 million people watched from around the world across channels broadcasting the show, alongside social media livestreams. During the Contest, the viewing share across EBU channels was at 40.9%. This figure is more than double that of a typical Saturday night broadcast. An additional 45 million people watched content on the official Eurovision Youtube channel.
The figure of 162 million is up from the 161 million that watched the Contest in Turin one year ago. However, in each country, ratings continued to peak, with co-host UK having the most watched edition of the Contest ever nationally. Similarly, fellow co-host Ukraine had a peak of nearly 20%, despite the ongoing war. Winners Sweden had an average of 2.3 million viewers – equivalent to over 82% of the market share.
Regarding the ‘Rest of the World’ vote, 107 non-participating countries and territories cast their vote to form the final result. Of these, the United States, Canada, Kosovo, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Mexico, Hungary, Slovakia, the United Arab Emirates, Türkiye and Chile all gave the most votes.
The impact of the youth
Delving deeper into the demographics around the show, the impact of younger viewers was clear to see. The EBU reported an average of over 55% of people aged between 15-24 across its broadcast stations were watching the Contest during the Final. This number is up staggeringly compared to a typical Saturday evening broadcast, which tends pull in just 13.8% of people in the demographic.
As a result, the impact of social media on the Contest is unprecedented. A total of 4 million tweets containing the word ‘Eurovision’ were posted between the 9th and 13th of May. Similarly, interaction on Tiktok exploded, with 4.8 billion views on the ‘#eurovision2023’ tag on the platform.
“Music with a global reach”
In a statement, the Executive Supervisor for the Contest Martin Österdahl said:
“The Eurovision Song Contest has proved, once again, that public service media has the power to unite the world through music with a global reach we are hugely proud of.
We’re thrilled to see that every year more and more people around the world discover this special event and that it is providing a huge launchpad for new music.”
Martin Österdahl, Executive Supervisor for the Eurovision Song Contest
Adding to this, Noel Curran of the EBU’s Reference Group for the Contest, said:
“With 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, the Eurovision Song Contest has never been more popular.
Our thanks go to the BBC who worked closely with UA:PBC for organizing this incredible showcase of Ukrainian culture and the diversity of European music and creativity.”
Noel Curran, Director-General of the European Broadcasting Union
The story of Eurovision 2023
Although Ukraine won the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest in Turin, due to the ongoing Russian invasion they are unable to host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest. Instead, the United Kingdom stepped in, as 2022’s runner-up; Liverpool will host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest on the 9th, 11th, and 13th of May 2023. The contest took place at the M&S Arena, with 37 countries taking part. The full production team behind the 2023 contest is listed here. The contest was a co-production between host broadcaster the BBC and last year’s winning broadcaster, Suspilne.
What do you make of the viewing figures for Eurovision 2023? Do you think the Contest could surpass 162 million next year? As always, let us know what you think by commenting below. Also, be sure to follow “That Eurovision Site” on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tiktok as we leave Eurovision 2023 behind!
News Source: EBU
Photo Credit: Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU
