The Eurovision Song Contest is back in 2025 to captivate audiences both on traditional broadcasts and digital platforms. On May 13, the first semi-final took place live in Basel, Switzerland, and drew hundreds of thousands of viewers to its official livestream. The modern Eurovision contest showcases the enduring global popularity of the event in the streaming era.
The night featured 15 competing acts vying for a spot in the grand final, with standout performances from Ukraine, Sweden, and Portugal — all of whom successfully advanced. On Eurovision’s own YouTube channel, their broadcast of the night of songs and acts drew a peak of 442,126 concurrent viewers and accumulated 1.028M Hours Watched.
Livestreaming continues to find an audience for traditional media events around the world. Whether its a football match, the Eurovision Song Contest, or a volatile political situation, livestreaming offers a quick and easy-to-access medium for potential viewers from around the globe.
In addition to the main broadcast, Eurovision-related content generated substantial traction across Twitch and YouTube. Over the past week leading up to and including May 13, a total of 271 individual streams were tracked covering or discussing Eurovision, combining for more than 1.384 million Hours Watched. This wide spread of coverage included commentary, analysis, and fan reactions across multiple languages and regions.
Mainstream media coverage throughout Europe was extensive. Eurovision dominated trending topics on social media platforms like X and TikTok, while national broadcasters and digital-first outlets in countries like Germany, Sweden, and the UK delivered wall-to-wall reporting. With cross-platform buzz reaching millions, Eurovision remains one of the continent’s most unifying and engaging media spectacles.
With the second semi-final on May 15 and Final on May 18 still ahead, livestreaming numbers are expected to climb even higher, potentially setting new viewership benchmarks for the contest’s online presence.