Following the growing speculation in the Netherlands of a possible return to the Eurovision Song Contest, Dutch broadcaster Omroep Max is no longer interested in taking over production and delegation duties, according to boss Jan Slagter. The broadcaster had previously shown interest, should AVROTROS not return to the 2027 Contest. AVROTROS are due to clarify their position on participation later this month.
Omroep Max not interested
Executive Director of broadcaster Omroep Max has said that the organisation is no longer interested in taking over participation duties for the Netherlands in Eurovision. Max had previously shown interest in assuming Eurovision duties, should broadcaster AVROTROS continue their boycott of the Song Contest.
The boss of Max, Jan Slagter, claimed the Eurovision Song Contest no longer fits the target audience of their broadcaster. Speaking to Dutch news site AD, Slagter said:
I’m not really jumping, absolutely not. A request is not an issue, but if that were there, we should first discuss that internally with Max. In addition: the songs that are brought there today, with all that noise and shouting, do not really fit in with our target group. It’s more of an appearance than it’s really a Eurovision song contest.
The broadcasting boss added that AVROTROS has been in charge of Dutch Eurovision participation for a long time, and has therefore built an “oiled machine”. He says Omroep Max currently lacks the expertise to handle the production. According to Slagter’s comments, AVROTROS finances a large proportion of the Netherlands production and participation in the Contest themselves, and Max does not have the same funds to do so.
Dutch minister says another public broadcaster could handle Eurovision production
The news that broadcaster Omroep Max is no longer interesting in taking over the Eurovision reigns comes at the same time as statements from the Dutch Government. Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science, Rianne Letschert, has said that there are no legal reasons another public broadcaster from the Netherlands could not takeover production duties.
The Dutch Minister was writing in response to a parliamentary question from MP Mona Keijzer. Letschert said another public broadcaster can take over the Dutch participation, should AVROTROS decide not to. Letschert clarified that due to the editorial independence of the public broadcaster, the Minister has no role in deciding whether the Netherlands participates. The choice lies solely with the NPO and the broadcasters themselves.
AVROTROS, the broadcaster who had been handling Dutch Eurovision participation until last year’s Contest, has yet to give a statement on their decision for participation in the 2027 Contest in Bulgaria. The broadcaster were the first to confirm that they would be withdrawing from the Contest in 2026, following the December EBU General Assembly vote. Broadcasters in Iceland, Ireland, Slovenia and Spain soon followed. The Contest was still broadcast in the Netherlands on NPO1, but broadcast by NOS Evenementen and NTR, not AVROTROS.
Netherlands’ Eurovision journey
The Netherlands are one of the founding countries of Eurovision, having performed the very first song ever on the Contest stage back in 1956. While the result of “De Vogels van Holland” is unknown, the Netherlands have garnered 5 wins. Their most recent win came in 2019, seeing them host the 2021 contest after the 2020 edition was cancelled due to Covid. However, the Netherlands are also known to have had the longest ever non qualification streak in the semi-final era. The country missed out on the Grand Final 8 times between 2005 and 2012.
Claude represented the Netherlands in 2025 with the song “C’est La Vie”. Competing in the first semi-final, he eventually qualified for the final in Basel. In the final, the Netherlands would eventually finish in 12th place with 175 points. 133 of these points came from the juries, while the remaining 42 came from the televote. The nation withdrew from the 2026 Contest, due to the participation of Israel. Broadcaster AVROTROS did not show the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, with another broadcaster taking over production of the show.
Do you think the Netherland could return to Eurovision for the 2027 Contest in Burgas? As always, please let us know what you think by getting involved on social media. Don’t forget to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Threads, tumblr, Bluesky, and ZOOP for more information about Eurovision 2027!
News source: AVROTROS / Omroep Max / AD.nl / Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, Tweede Kamer
Image credits: MAX / AVROTROS / Tweede Kramer der Staten-Generaal
Emma Walton 
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