The Complex Logistics of the World’s Biggest Live Music Event | WSJ Countdown 

FR! FR! Im getting sick of this kind of comparison!

The better comparison really is the superbowl. Especially since eurovision has higher ratings

exactly! in Europe, most if not all countries have the equivalent of American Idol. The only comparison that can be made is with the half time show. Eurovision is several half time shows back to back

The _American Song Contest_ was an American music reality competition television series based on the _Eurovision Song Contest._ The sole season of the series was hosted by Snoop Dogg and Kelly Clarkson; NBC acquired the rights to broadcast the Eurovision Song Contest in the United States starting in 2021 and shortly after announced the American Song Contest with a 2022 premiere date. it consisted of eight episodes airing between March 21 and May 9, 2022 on NBC. It saw acts representing all 50 U.S. states, five territories, as well as Washington, D.C. compete for the title of Best Original Song. Over the course of the season, 56 competing entries were divided into five qualifying rounds leading to two 11-participant semi-finals, and culminating with a 10-participant final round, which aired as the season finale. Participants advanced from a qualifying round to a semifinal, and then to a final based on votes received by public voting or jury voting, or a combination thereof. The contest was won by the state of Oklahoma, which was represented by the song "Wonderland", performed by AleXa.

@@RaymondHngI didn’t see any of the episodes / live shows, and it must have been expensive to make ASC but I feel like NBC should have stuck with it and tried it for at least a 2nd season & aired the Eurovision Song Contest semi finals & final delayed in primetime and used it as a promotional platform for the American Song Contest. All broadcast networks are shifting more and more away from scripted dramas & comedies, so they will need more and more reality (competition) shows on top of all the live sports games they broadcast in primetime. And having another live reality competition that could attract a sizeable live audience for 8 weeks on NBC & Peacock could be very profitable, which I’m basing on the success the American Idol reboot has been on ABC. It’s not bringing in the gigantic sponsor deals & ad rates that Idol used to get during the earlier seasons when Idol was basically the Death Star for everything scheduled in the same timeslots, but it must be very profitable if they can afford these huge salaries for the 3 judges & Ryan and considering all the effort it takes to make a season of American Idol.

Where does that false claim even come from? The very title gives it away, and yet Americans keep calling it a "singing competition." ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

@@JorgyValenko because they have to dumb it down lol

Wrong. It's a contest where you need the full package (song, vocals, staging, charisma, costumes, storytelling and concept, camera work). If any key elements are off, the entry has a high chance of flopping.

​@@elinat2414 all true + politics 😂😂 I'm croatian, don't mind me 😂😂 still buthurt for loosing in 1999 with a great song,and now again last night

@@me9981 Oh I totally sympathise! I am reasonably happy that Nemo won, but Croatia really was my favourite.

Eurovision started in 1956, so not even close to 80 yet

@@mipr5420 we are entering the 8th decade of Eurovision history so allow me to round up

@@KrlKngMrtssn Eurovision turns 70 in 2026. so rounding up would equal to 70 not 80

@@Dog1818YT Doesn't really change the original message, does it?

To be fair, the biggest insult is that American Idol itself is just another franchise of the UK made Simon Cowell series Pop Idol.. so technically just another copy of a European competition. Has to be said, I (eventually) got tickets for one of the semi-final rehearsal shows in Liverpool last year as my other half is a bit of a Eurovision geek, and was massively impressed with the staging and changeovers.. rather made up for the songs really 😂

You tell em Josh!

Truly Eurovision is probably be better described as a song performance competition. A guy coming out of an egg and looking half-naked is not really that much about the song, it’s about the whole performance.

@@D.S.handle 100%

not Windows95man flopping while Germany getting their best result in 6 years. maybe having too much "televote bait SONGS" will clash with each other.

It is a song contest. But the song is not judged by just looking at the sheet music. The song is performed by an artist on stage in front of a live audience and television viewers. So the performance of the song is judged as well. The performance of the song and the song itself cannot be separated into two components.

More like we don't care honestly

​@@nueat6 if you really think that, you're delusional my dear.

@@nueat6sure, Jan… you don’t care so much, you saw the title, pressed on this video, saw this comment and then commented. You secretly wish you could be a part of this, but your mind used hate to cope with it.

It is a song contest. But the song is not judged by just looking at the sheet music. The song is performed by an artist on stage in front of a live audience and television viewers. So the performance of the song is judged as well. The performance of the song and the song itself cannot be separated into two components. The _American Song Contest_ was an American music reality competition television series based on the _Eurovision Song Contest._ The sole season of the series was hosted by Snoop Dogg and Kelly Clarkson; NBC acquired the rights to broadcast the Eurovision Song Contest in the United States starting in 2021 and shortly after announced the American Song Contest with a 2022 premiere date. it consisted of eight episodes airing between March 21 and May 9, 2022 on NBC. It saw acts representing all 50 U.S. states, five territories, as well as Washington, D.C. compete for the title of Best Original Song. Over the course of the season, 56 competing entries were divided into five qualifying rounds leading to two 11-participant semi-finals, and culminating with a 10-participant final round, which aired as the season finale. Participants advanced from a qualifying round to a semifinal, and then to a final based on votes received by public voting or jury voting, or a combination thereof. The contest was won by the state of Oklahoma, which was represented by the song "Wonderland", performed by AleXa.

I mean it's a song contest, it's not the wildest comparison ever. Also, if Americans think about Eurovision at all, at no point are they wowed by some exceptional 'creativity' of it. Eurovision songs are typically very generic and very rarely does the winner score a hit that lasts longer in the European public zeitgeist than that spring, meanwhile American songs top the charts and become classics all over Europe for decades.

@@ReddoFreddook name a few real hits from american idol then Ill get eurovision Waterloo Fairytale Euphoria Heroes

​@@mrglados1556 Tbh heroes isn't really a hit as far as I'm aware, but to name two more: Arcade Snap

we got a "sob performance" this year (at least in the semi); Joost would've cry for real at the GF if he took part (not a good thing... this would come off as cringy)

@@momomon7662 Save Your Kisses for Me, Diva, Volare, Zitti e Buoni, Congratulations, Hard Rock Hallelujah, and my personal favorite - Nocturne.

Yeah, apparently my hamster did the research for this...

i have seen this "up to 20 countries" line in a hypothetical scenario where a maximum of 46 countries participating. someone did a quick Wikipedia search lol!

This year even 25 countries 🤦‍♂️

At least they corrected it at the end.

They said up to 26 countries?

It is a song contest. But the song is not judged by just looking at the sheet music. The song is performed by an artist on stage in front of a live audience and television viewers. So the performance of the song is judged as well. The performance of the song and the song itself cannot be separated into two components. The _American Song Contest_ was an American music reality competition television series based on the _Eurovision Song Contest._ The sole season of the series was hosted by Snoop Dogg and Kelly Clarkson; NBC acquired the rights to broadcast the Eurovision Song Contest in the United States starting in 2021 and shortly after announced the American Song Contest with a 2022 premiere date. it consisted of eight episodes airing between March 21 and May 9, 2022 on NBC. It saw acts representing all 50 U.S. states, five territories, as well as Washington, D.C. compete for the title of Best Original Song. Over the course of the season, 56 competing entries were divided into five qualifying rounds leading to two 11-participant semi-finals, and culminating with a 10-participant final round, which aired as the season finale. Participants advanced from a qualifying round to a semifinal, and then to a final based on votes received by public voting or jury voting, or a combination thereof. The contest was won by the state of Oklahoma, which was represented by the song "Wonderland", performed by AleXa.

When it comes to the stage work this year sets a very high bar for others to follow.

Isn't the stage patterned after the set design of Loreen's performance of "Tattoo" last year?" Even the sound that is played after each postcard and right before the artist's performance is the same sound that starts "Tattoo".

The reveal of the green room behind the stage was such a cool moment even after having seen it twice already in the semis!

Mmmm... How when it's a live event?

@@darjuz96 it IS a live event

​@@darjuz96 you just press a button to switch to a camera in the audience (it's probably a bit more complicated than that but still)

@@sadmoneypenny. Sorry bad translation (too literal if can be translated in Italian in "se" but it can be used also in non conditional cases)

That is because we don't care about this as much as you do. So to try and keep us watching you put it in a way we would understand.

@@nueat6damn, home girl is fighting for her life out here responding to comments… it’s ok - we welcome you in the Eurovision family. I know it sometimes rough to be living under a rock, but you can jump in the wagon :) you obviously care

​@@nueat6 bruh you are replying under every comment with "we don't care". For someone who doesn't care, you seem to be very involved in this comment section

​@@nueat6 You clearly do care 🤡

It is a song contest. But the song is not judged by just looking at the sheet music. The song is performed by an artist on stage in front of a live audience and television viewers. So the performance of the song is judged as well. The performance of the song and the song itself cannot be separated into two components. The _American Song Contest_ was an American music reality competition television series based on the _Eurovision Song Contest._ The sole season of the series was hosted by Snoop Dogg and Kelly Clarkson; NBC acquired the rights to broadcast the Eurovision Song Contest in the United States starting in 2021 and shortly after announced the American Song Contest with a 2022 premiere date. it consisted of eight episodes airing between March 21 and May 9, 2022 on NBC. It saw acts representing all 50 U.S. states, five territories, as well as Washington, D.C. compete for the title of Best Original Song. Over the course of the season, 56 competing entries were divided into five qualifying rounds leading to two 11-participant semi-finals, and culminating with a 10-participant final round, which aired as the season finale. Participants advanced from a qualifying round to a semifinal, and then to a final based on votes received by public voting or jury voting, or a combination thereof. The contest was won by the state of Oklahoma, which was represented by the song "Wonderland", performed by AleXa.

Omg i want that so bad

?

..and it didn't make sense alphabetically either LOL

The countries participating is members of the EBU

Indeed! Geographically it would make more sense "from Iceland to Israel plus Australia" and alphabetically "from Albania to Ukraine"

They have the competing countries BEHIND the LED screen, which moves up, to show them, when the votes are revealed... How is that even possible?!

Me too and I'm from the Philippines. 🤣

Doesn't matter, we still appreciate that you guys watch and participate!

They are American, this explains everything.

it is actually shown with commercials in some countries. Basically all the breaks where the hosts talk with artists and crowd are replaced. Fortunately not where I líve.

@@zarraxia thanks, I didn't know that. Seems I live in the right place ✌️

Most broadcasters that air Eurovision have commercials, excluding the German, British and some others i forgot. They usually fill it with audience interactions, skits, etc.

It actually was not… but I guess they at least tried

What are you on about? The UK only had one main stage

The insane thing is a lot of them volunteer too.

@@Underestimated37 I'm almost certain that they dont get paid. The Broadcasters who send them to represent them will pay for their staging, accomodation, meals etc. maybe some spending money. But its not a paid gig.

@@yascaoimhin you didn’t watch the video did you? It’s not talking about the artists, it’s the team who do the sets and changeovers. Those aren’t part of the delegations sent by the participants, the EBU and national host provides that.

@@yascaoimhin No, they are paid professionals. Stagehands in the entertainment industry are usually represented by a union. In North America, the union is International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE). The Swedish equivalent to IATSE is the *Swedish Union for Performing Arts and Film (Teaterförbundet för scen och film).* This union represents professionals in various fields within the performing arts and film industries, including stagehands, technicians, actors, and other theater and film workers in Sweden. The union works to protect the rights and interests of its members, negotiate collective agreements, and improve working conditions within the industry.

Americans had their chance with the very first Eurovision spinoff, the American Song Contest presented by Kelly Clarkson and Snoopy Dog. The whole thing was a mess and it got cancelled by NBC. So… no

@@igor_patrick That basically seemed to be a close to 0 budget production. Felt smaller than a lot of the national finals in Eurovision, lol

The _American Song Contest_ was an American music reality competition television series based on the _Eurovision Song Contest._ The sole season of the series was hosted by Snoop Dogg and Kelly Clarkson; NBC acquired the rights to broadcast the Eurovision Song Contest in the United States starting in 2021 and shortly after announced the American Song Contest with a 2022 premiere date. it consisted of eight episodes airing between March 21 and May 9, 2022 on NBC. It saw acts representing all 50 U.S. states, five territories, as well as Washington, D.C. compete for the title of Best Original Song. Over the course of the season, 56 competing entries were divided into five qualifying rounds leading to two 11-participant semi-finals, and culminating with a 10-participant final round, which aired as the season finale. Participants advanced from a qualifying round to a semifinal, and then to a final based on votes received by public voting or jury voting, or a combination thereof. The contest was won by the state of Oklahoma, which was represented by the song "Wonderland", performed by AleXa.

haven't you seen the red carpet ceremony they came in with them inside it lol

They cut to the presenters who have prepared dialogue for that occasion.

The cameras will move to the presenters if the stage is not ready in time, everything has a contingency plan

@@thwales2520 Professionals know how to build contingency into everything.

Nothing is missing there. It's good English

@@ivanf4136 they edited it

It's a headline. There's no need for a complete sentence with subject, verb, and object structure.

Ricrolled 'ya

As someone who has been to this exact year of eurovision twice now, once to sit and once to stand I have witnessed a lot of technical aspects and no, automation would be pretty hard to implent on a giant led stage which needs to look good from all Angles, technically a lot of the songs use the ceiling as props via lowering down sections of it which technically is automated- But stuff like moving in towers, assembling the cirlces, bringing in platforms and like drumsets, or wiping the led stage down works because its humans, small little creatures that move fast and can easily hide behind the stage once they are no longer needed. There is too much variation between the songs for it all to be automated.

​@@zosig23100 years from now who knows

Some of the cameras are operated by robotics.

Nope

😂

Not really. It's a song contest, not a singing competition. So great vocals are usually not enough. Which is why France typically does well but hasn't won in decades

@@yascaoimhin I didn't say anything about others songs being bad or anything, but that the backstage people must be thankful for the little break some countries allow them. Of course, we all watch it for the show, but France - especially in 2021 with Voila - was another level of wow.

Tell the Portugese delegation that