Just under 1 million persons watched the grand finale of the Eurovision Song Contest on public television in Belgium, the Media Information Centre (CIM) reported on Monday.
This was a far cry from 1.5 million viewers registered in 2022, fuelling fears that interest in the Eurovision final might be waning in Belgium.
In the French-speaking region, Saturday’s final attracted 289,623 viewers to the RTBF, marking a slight drop of fewer than 2,000 people compared to last year.
The decline was more significant in the Dutch-speaking region, where over 160,000 fewer people tuned in than a year ago. The audience for VRT stood at 697,615, representing a market share of 56.7% in the north of the country.
The first semi-final, featuring Belgian contestant Red Sebastian, who ultimately did not advance, attracted 266,043 viewers on RTBF and 914,210 viewers on VRT.
The final was also broadcast worldwide on YouTube, including in Belgium, peaking with over 1.6 million live views on Saturday night.
