How to bet on Eurovision - Part One
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual musical highlight for millions of persons all over Europe, and offers great betting opportunities as well. In this article series we will look at the history of the show, explain the basic factors to consider when placing your bets, plus give you our very own Eurovision betting tips!
How to bet on Eurovision - Contest history
The Eurovision Song Contest, commonly referred to as the Eurovision, is an annual competition held among the active members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). The first contest was held in 1956, and was a result of EBU searching for ways of bringing the European countries closer together after the second world war.
The competition might not be that popular with the trendy younger crowd, and the songs are not all going to be hits on MTV, but it is indeed a hugely popular competition. Official Eurovision website estimates indicate that on a yearly basis 125 million viewers watch the Eurovision Song Contest, performers often become (or already are) big celebrities in their respective countries, and winning the competition can be the start of a very successful international career. Artists that have launched international careers as a direct result of winning the Eurovision include ABBA (for Sweden in 1974) and Celine Dion (for Switzerland in 1988).
How to bet on Eurovision – 2012 Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest 2012 will be held in Azerbaijan, making it the 57th annual contest. There will be two semi-finals held 22nd and 24th May, and then the final will be on 26th May 2012. A total of forty-three countries will participate in the semi-finals, and seventeen of these will then be eliminated, leaving twenty-six countries to participate in the final. Six of the countries qualified directly and are ready for the final; Azerbaijan as the host nation plus the “Big Five” countries France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and United Kingdom.
How to bet on Eurovision – 2012 National selections
Individual countries are these days selecting who will perform in the Eurovision 2012 Azerbaijan final. For instance, Norway just held their national selection final (called Melodi Grand Prix 2012) on the 11th February, where artist Tooji was crowned the winner with the song “Stay”. Several countries have yet to select their act for the final, and these will have their national finals in last half of February and first half of March (Sweden, Portugal, Moldova, and Romania are the last ones to have their finals on March 10th).
How to bet on Eurovision – Final notes
Once the national selections are ready (after March 10th), the bookmakers will start to offer prices for the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 final in Azerbaijan, and it will for sure be interesting to see the final line-up of performers and the prices on offer. Keep reading, in part two of this article we will cover the relevant and basic elements of Eurovision betting.
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