Eurovision: Final 10 qualifying acts revealed
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Eurovision 2021 has returned with a stronger selection of songs than ever. The UK has just one of 39 acts who have arrived in Rotterdam to win this year’s competition. But how much does the UK pay to take part?
How much does the UK pay to enter?
It has not been revealed how much the UK has paid to enter this year’s competition, though previous years give a good idea of the usual costs.
The most recent figures on how much the UK has paid to enter come from 2012, via the adamsmith.org blog.
In the blog post, it says the BBC paid the European Broadcasting Union, which hosts the competition, £310,000.
This was a steady increase from £279,805 in 2009, meaning it is likely the BBC pays significantly more now in 2021.
How much does Eurovision cost?
According to eurovision.tv, the competition’s official site, all the Participating Broadcaster’s contributions are added up to help fund the show.
It states that this cost adds up to €6.2 million (£5.3 million) combined, with each country paying a different amount.
This is broken down by the countries standing and their ability to “carry the most weight”, as the Eurovision official site notes.
The remaining funds for the show come from several other revenue streams, the first being the Host Broadcaster.
This broadcaster will generally be expected to contribute between €10 and €20 million (£8.6 and £17.2 million), depending on circumstance and resources.
The Host City will also contribute to the show, this will be done either financially or “in kind”, covering expenses of city branding, side events, and security, among other factors.
Finally, commercial revenue will be used via sponsorships, ticket sales, televoting, and merchandise, though this revenue varies from year to year.
As the UK is part of the Big Five, it will likely contribute a significantly higher amount to the show compared to other nations.
The Big Five also includes Germany, France, Italy, and Spain.
The Adam Smith blog also states that the UK’s membership within the EBU (European Broadcasting Union) “also buys it other things.”
These things include membership of a news exchange, rights to concert broadcasts, and activities around the Olympics.
The cost for the BBC doesn’t end at the entry fee, however, as other additional costs include travel, hotels, and incidents for the staff involved in covering the show.
Of course, if the UK actually won the competition, which it has failed to do since 1997, the cost would be significantly higher.
No official cost has been announced for 2019’s show, which took place in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem.
According to an article released by Israeli press site maariv.co.il, the event cost 120 million Israeli shekels (€29 million).
It has also not been announced how much The Netherlands has paid for their event in Rotterdam, though it is likely a similar amount.
Eurovision is available to watch on May 20 and May 22 on BBC Four and BBC One.
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