Eurovision loses 35 million viewers after five nations boycott over Israel
The 70th Eurovision Song Contest final in Vienna drew 131 million viewers, organisers reported, a 20% decline from 2025 after five countries boycotted over Israel's participation. Bulgaria won for the first time with Dara's 'Bangaranga'.
Viewership declines as countries boycott
131 million people watched the 2026 Eurovision final in Vienna, a 20% drop from 2025 when 166 million tuned in from Basel. The EBU attributed the decline to the absence of Iceland, Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands and Slovenia, who boycotted over Israel's participation in the contest against the backdrop of the war in Gaza. The five nations had together accounted for roughly 28 million viewers in the previous edition. Despite the drop, the average audience share of 42.6% across 35 measured markets remained more than double the broadcasters' typical 16.9% average, and exceeded all editions between 2009 and 2023.
- 2025
- 166 million viewers
- 2026
- 131 million viewers
Digital platforms hit new highs
The contest's digital footprint set fresh records. Between 1 January and 30 May, official content generated over 2.75 billion views across TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. During the final week alone, 39.3 million interactions were recorded. TikTok surpassed 4 million followers for the first time, with 872 million total views and 37% of its following aged 18–24. Instagram racked up more than 1 billion views for the first time, while Facebook delivered 247.8 million views and reached 43 million accounts. The revamped Eurovision.com drew 9.9 million active users, peaking at nearly 3 million on the night of the final.
Local records in Austria and the Nordics
Host country Austria posted its highest Eurovision reach ever: 4.4 million people, with an average of 1.6 million watching the final on ORF 1 and a record share of 61.4%. The strongest quarter-hour hit around 10 p.m. local time, pulling in almost 1.6 million viewers and a 55% share, rising to 91% among 12–29-year-olds. Italy saw 5.1 million viewers, up 267,000 from 2025. Finland posted a record 92.8% share, with Sweden at 85.5%, Norway at 83.4% and Denmark at 79%. Greece and Denmark delivered their best figures since 2011 and 2019 respectively, while Finland recorded its highest audience since 2007. In Germany, Dara's winning song “Bangaranga” later topped the official singles charts, the first Eurovision winner to do so in 14 years.
- Finland
- 92.8 %
- Sweden
- 85.5 %
- Norway
- 83.4 %
- Denmark
- 79 %
Performances and next year's host
Bulgaria's Dara won the contest for the first time with the floor-filler “Bangaranga”, beating Israel's second-placed entry while the United Kingdom finished last. France's Monroe came 11th. Protests marked the event in Vienna: pro-Palestinian demonstrators held a “No Stage for genocide” alternative concert, and chants of “stop the genocide” were audible during Israel's semi-final performance. The EBU confirmed that the 2027 edition will most likely take place in Sofia.
Organizers respond
Eurovision director Martin Green acknowledged the boycott's impact while pointing to digital momentum.The hundreds of millions reached via our digital platforms also underlines the Eurovision Song Contest's 70-year evolution from a TV show to a true global, cultural, multi-platform phenomenon.
ORF executive producer Michael Krön said the figures beat internal projections.It pleases me very much that despite numerous boycott calls in the run-up and the loss of some important markets, we have achieved our goals. The TV reach, with 131 million, even exceeded our expectations.
