Why the American Song Contest Will Never Be a Success

And it’s not for the reasons we thought

The last couple of years have been very disorienting for American fans of the Eurovision Song Contest.

Previously the niche obsession of those of us who were gay and/or tacky enough to tune into its distinctive wavelength, the Eurovision Song Contest has gained some ground in the U.S. — but for how long?

If you’re not aware, Eurovision is an annual contest where several countries (most European, some not) send a musical act to present a song. While the participating countries generally send pop songs, genres as varied as r&b, rap, country, heavy metal, and even opera have earned high scores through the years. These initial entries are then narrowed down in a pair of semi-final shows. As many as 26 will be selected for the Grand Final show, a three-to-four-hour event which culminates in a voting ceremony where the winner is decided via jury and public vote.

Eurovision’s claim to fame is the gimmicks some countries employ to earn votes. To appeal to as broad an audience as possible, participants often rely on spectacle to give their songs an edge on the competition and we are grateful for it.

Until 2016, Eurovision never had steady broadcasting in the United States. Those of us Yankees who got on the train tended to watch YouTube livestreams or pirated versions.

Although Paramount/Viacom had previously purchased American streaming rights of the 201618 contests, this received little fanfare or viewership. The conglomerate relegated these broadcasts to their basic cable channel, Logo. Oddly enough, this purchase made the contest harder for American fans to find. Logo only aired the third show of the contest, the “Grand Final,” while European livestreams of the semi-finals were geo-blocked in America due to exclusivity agreements. Netflix picked up the contest’s semi-finals and grand final for the 2019 edition, ostensibly to coincide with the coming film.