Eurovision 2024: Record-Breaking Viewership Amid Controversies
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has decided to shift focus from the controversies surrounding this year’s Eurovision Song Contest and instead celebrate its impressive viewership statistics. The 2024 contest, held in Malmö, Sweden, attracted 163 million viewers across its two semifinals and the grand final, reflecting an increase of one million viewers compared to last year. This boost is partly attributed to the significant engagement of younger audiences, driven by the power of social media.
However, these numbers deserve a closer examination. The inclusion of Israel sparked intense debates across various regions, leading some areas to black out during Israel’s performance while attracting non-regular viewers in others due to the controversy.
The grand final’s average viewership share was 46.7%, the highest since 2006, and among the 15 to 24-year-old demographic, it soared to 58.6%, a record high. In Spain, the quest for victory was watched by 4.9 million viewers (41.8%), with the voting segment peaking at 5.5 million (52.1%). Host country Sweden matched the viewership of Loreen’s winning year, drawing 2.3 million viewers (87.3%). Switzerland, which celebrated its third Eurovision win with Nemo’s «The Code,» saw a 40% increase in viewership to 723,000 across its three linguistic regions. Germany and the UK recorded 8.1 million and 7.7 million viewers respectively, while France’s audience rose by 1.9 million to 5.4 million.
In nearly half of the participating markets (18 out of 37), viewership shares exceeded 50%, with Iceland leading at 96%, followed closely by other Nordic countries such as Norway (85.5%) and Finland (83.1%). Croatia, which secured its best-ever result with a second-place finish, captivated 1.1 million viewers and a 73.2% share. Greece and Ireland doubled their viewership, while Latvia, making it to the final, saw a fourfold increase.
This year, the televote was extended to 156 countries, enabling viewers from non-participating nations like the United States, Canada, Romania, Mexico, the UAE, Turkey, South Africa, Hungary, Slovakia, and Bulgaria to cast their votes. These figures were proudly highlighted by Ebba Adielsson, the executive producer of the contest from SVT.
During Eurovision week, the official YouTube channel attracted 7.3 million unique viewers for the live shows and replays. Simultaneous views for the grand final peaked at 1.6 million, a 17.8% increase from last year. Additionally, videos tagged with #Eurovision2024 garnered 6.5 billion views on TikTok, a rise of 1.7 billion views compared to the previous year, and reached 500 million TikTok accounts, quadrupling the reach from 2023.
Nemo’s Impact
The post-contest impact continues, with Nemo’s winning song «The Code» making it into the daily Top 100 charts in 44 countries, including 13 where it reached number one and 29 where it entered the Top 10. On the official ESC YouTube channel, videos featuring Nemo, including interviews and exclusive performances, have amassed 34 million views to date.
Initial data from Malmö, the host city, indicates that 82,000 visitors attended the Eurovision Village during the event week. Fans from 92 countries purchased tickets for the shows, and approximately 1,100 journalists from at least 54 countries covered the event in person.
As Eurovision 2024 fades into memory, the EBU is basking in the afterglow of its substantial achievements, both in terms of audience engagement and the widespread cultural impact of the contest. Despite the controversies, the numbers speak volumes about Eurovision’s enduring appeal and its ability to captivate audiences worldwide.
