UK Sees Lowest Viewing Figures for Eurovision Final Since 2010
https://novaramedia.com/2026/05/19/uk-sees-lowest-viewing-figures-for-eurovision-final-since-2010/
https://novaramedia.com/2026/05/19/uk-sees-lowest-viewing-figures-for-eurovision-final-since-2010/
31 Comments
Corporal_Punishment@feddit.uk · 38 pts · 84d
Someone please explain again why Israel, a country that is definitely not in Europe, is participating in a european competition.
anothermember@feddit.uk · 31 pts · 84d
Because it's a contest for members of the European Broadcasting Union. Technically Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia could enter if they wanted to.
Corporal_Punishment@feddit.uk · 14 pts · 84d
Oh. Still doesnt really make much sense but hey ho.
napoleonsdumbcousin@feddit.org · 13 pts · 84d
"The boundaries of the European Broadcasting Area have their origin in the regions served and linked by telegraphy cables in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The European Broadcasting Area plays a part in the definition of eligibility for active membership in the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and thus participation in the Eurovision Song Contest."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Broadcasting_Area
Corporal_Punishment@feddit.uk · 10 pts · 84d
Ahhh, cheers. Now do Australia :D
napoleonsdumbcousin@feddit.org · 9 pts · 84d
Well they just asked nicely :)
khannie@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 84d
And came straight in with the bangers. I didn't watch this year but I heard theirs was class again.
remon@ani.social · 10 pts · 84d
Their wiki page pretty much covers it.
tl;dr: Any country that is a member of the European Broadcasting Area or Council of Europe can participate.
MrNesser@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 84d
I still don't understand how they came in 2nd
ReluctantlyZen@ani.social · 15 pts · 84d
Votes are pretty easily astroturfed. You vote by buying votes and can vote more than once if you have multiple debit and credit cards
Zorque@lemmy.world · 13 pts · 84d
Because all the people who didn't like them boycotted it.
davepleasebehave@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 84d
and their votes were split over multiple countries. the AstroTurf gang only have to convince a few hundred people to bit multiple times for Israel and they look popular. it helps construct a narrative that most people agree with Israel.
And it's cheap as well.
khannie@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 84d
You can vote up to 20 times in the public vote. It's scandalous.
ji59@hilariouschaos.com · 0 pts · 84d
I was surprised too, but I can tolerate Israel as being close enough. But having Australia in Eurovision is completely insane.
makingrain@lemmy.world · -15 pts · 84d
Corporal_Punishment@feddit.uk · 12 pts · 84d
They're literally murdering thousands of people, but me questioning why a non-european country is participating in a european event is hatred?
Bore off
makingrain@lemmy.world · -6 pts · 84d
tenebrisnox@feddit.uk · 3 pts · 84d
Is asking why Australia IS allowed to take part - but the USA not also hatred?
makingrain@lemmy.world · -6 pts · 84d
Corporal_Punishment@feddit.uk · 3 pts · 84d
Well the general theme of the thread was about just that. And its been pretty much a hot topic everywhere else when talking about eurovision.
But as it stands I was actually genuinely curious as to why they were in it. Australia being in it is so absolutely absurd it didnt register with me.
tenebrisnox@feddit.uk · -2 pts · 84d
Shouldn't the UK also be barred from entry bearing in mind a majority of this country declared it was opposed to the Euro vision?
makingrain@lemmy.world · -2 pts · 84d
Sunspear@piefed.social · 23 pts · 84d
Well, yknow, there's the whole israel thing
And even the article's thumbnail has an israeli flag, who would have thought people might have issues with that...
anothermember@feddit.uk · 22 pts · 84d
Good, I gave it a miss and I'm normally a regular viewer. Not surprised Israel did well since those left watching are more likely to be pro-Israel, I half expected them to win.
thanksforallthefish@literature.cafe · 18 pts · 84d
Not to mention the astro-turfed voting by Israel last year (and presumably this year but I didn't watch)
Korhaka@sopuli.xyz · 1 pts · 84d
Israel came second
Korhaka@sopuli.xyz · 11 pts · 84d
Just imagine how low next year would be if Israel had won...
DavidGA@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 83d
If Israel had won, there wouldn’t be one next year.
Korhaka@sopuli.xyz · 1 pts · 83d
Reform voters might start watching
anothermember@feddit.uk · 1 pts · 82d
Almost certainly it wouldn't be held in Israel, like when Ukraine won in 2022 it was held in the UK the next year. It's a convention not a rule that the winning country hosts it the next year. Unless you mean that Israel winning itself would destroy the competition, that's possible.
DavidGA@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 81d
I mean the latter.
Babalugats@feddit.uk · 11 pts · 84d
Good, and the viewing figures will likely continue to drop globally while KAN (Israels broadcaster) are allowed in.
Death to Eurovision!
notsosure@sh.itjust.works · -6 pts · 84d
The British are crap at singing, except for dick van dyke in the Mary poppins.
abrasiveteapot@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 84d
Lol. Yeah the UK has never had a famous singer or popular band in the last century. Can't think of a single one.
notsosure@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 82d
Yeah, but note how my ridiculous comment ONLY got SIX downvotes? I’m touching a nerve, obviously.