This brings the cumulative number of viewers for the three live shows to 114,5 million, nearly 9 million more than last year.
The 2011 Eurovision Song Contest was broadcast on television in all 43 participating countries, as well as in Kosovo, Kazachstan, Australia and New Zealand, as well as worldwide on the internet. 15 national radio stations aired Europe's favourite TV show.
Records crushed
"The Eurovision Song Contest doesn't only stand for 7,5 hours of high-quality live entertainment, it is also a ratings success across Europe. Several broadcasters saw old records crushed, reporting to the EBU massive viewer interest," says Jon Ola Sand, the Executive Supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of the EBU. "There is something magical about having so many people across Europe and around the world doing the same thing at the same time," Sand added.
Increase in social media activity
The online live streams of the three shows generated 804,000 viewing sessions. In the lead up to the 2011 contest in Germany, the official website www.eurovision.tv generated some 87 million page views, which is 8% more than last year.
"We saw a significant increase in social media activity this year, with almost 400,000 registered fans on Facebook and several global trending topics on Twitter during the live shows. This means a lot to us, since we are eager to involve a new generation of dedicated viewers with the Eurovision Song Contest," says Sietse Bakker, Event Supervisor of the contest and responsible for new media.
The 2011 Eurovision Song Contest took place on 10, 12 and 14 May in Düsseldorf, Germany, and was successfully hosted by NDR, member of the ARD network. 36,000 people attended the Final live at the Düsseldorf Arena, over 2,000 journalists covered Europe's favourite TV show.
