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Eurovision, the Superbowl of Song Written by on February 6, 2011

This weekend over one hundred million fans will sit down in front of their TV’s, food at the ready, a party atmosphere in the air,  all to watch a stadium based show, from a single city, that gets beamed around the world.

I am, of course, talking about the Superbowl, one of America’s largest TV audiences (with 106 million viewers, it’s one of the largest competitive events on the planet).

Of course a quick copy and replace around May and I’d be able to talk about the Eurovision Song Contest, one of the world’s largest TV audiences (with 125 million viewers, it’s one of the largest competitive events on the planet).

For all the bad media reputation that hangs around some parts of Eurovision, there’s a huge upside that’s never reported. But we’ll get to that in a moment, let’s start with that media reaction. Take the UK’s announcement of Blue, and the almost immediate knee jerk reaction to proclaim them as losers, from getting the Bookies to quote high odds and their former manager declaring that anything but a win would be a monumental failure. Really?

Of course there will be the personal feeling of disappointment if they don’t win, but going out on the biggest stage in the world, singing to all those people around the globe, doing the best that they can, how would that in any way be a failure?

When the New Orleans Saints won Superbowl XLIV, was it the end of the world for Peyton Manning (the Quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts)? Was it a failure because someone always has to be second? Of course not.

The thing to remember about Eurovision (and in most competitions) is that there can only be one winner. of the 43 performers going in to the Eurovision Final, 42 will lose. Take an average of 20 performers in the various finals and semi finals of the National Selections and you have over 800 singers, bands and groups who have ‘lost’

Trying and losing is never a failure. It’s something that we teach our children, that you go in, you do your best, and if you deliver to the best you can, your country can ask no more of you. There is a very strong competitive element, but just like the Superbowl, Eurovision is also the personal challenge of going out there and just doing it, the honour of representing your country, playing the same stage as the best, and measuring yourself against them.

So what’s the upside? Well, the lesson is already known by motor racing teams… race on Sunday, sell on Monday. One hundred and Twenty Five million people watching your performance. How many new fans is that going to be? How many chances do you get to play to that many people?

One of the numbers I would love to see is the real time iTunes downloads on the night of Euovision. As an act walks off the stage, how many people around the world go and download a track. Even given a 0.1% conversion rate, that could translate as one hundred thousand dollars.

It could be someone at the start of their career (Tom Dice), it could be the next thing for a singer to take on (Paula Selling), or it could be the return to the limelight with a new sound and re-found focus (Blue). Eurovision is a treasure trove of rewards, but there’s no such thing as failure if you take the contest seriously.

That’s where some countries have been found short in the past, and not realising the weight of expectation from around the world placed on those taking the stage. Imagine the fury if one of the American Footballers didn’t put in maximum effort at the Dallas stadium during their blue ribband event of the year. Because none of them would demean the privilege offered to them.

No matter what the media might think, everyone taking to the field for the Superbowl, or the stage at Eurovision, knows the importance of the event and the trust placed in them from around the world. They’re going to do their best to deliver.

And they will be rewarded.

About The Author: Ewan Spence

British Academy (BAFTA) nominated broadcaster and writer Ewan Spence is the voice behind The Unofficial Eurovision Song Contest Podcast and one of the driving forces behind ESC Insight. Having had an online presence since 1994, he is a noted commentator around the intersection of the media, internet, technology, mobility and how it affects us all. Based in Edinburgh, Scotland, his work has appeared on the BBC, The Stage, STV, and The Times. You can follow Ewan on Twitter (@ewan) and Facebook (facebook.com/ewanspence).

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