The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has signed an exclusive option with international production company Brain Academy to develop the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC), the world’s biggest live music show, for the American market.
With a timeline of the show being read by 2021/2022, this fits with the strategy of the EBU to grow their brand and footprint of the Eurovision Song Contest. The team behind The American Song Contest will include some very well known ESC producers. Anders Lenhoff, Peter Settman will join Christer Björkman and Ola Melzig – a team with extensive Eurovision experience.
“For over six decades the Eurovision Song Contest, powered by public service media, has brought audiences together with its values of diversity, universality and inclusivity. It remains a unique must-see event in over 40 competing countries each year and enjoys a global audience of almost 200 million viewers. As part of the EBU’s overall strategy to grow the ESC brand it’s time for Eurovision to go Stateside to reach even more viewers. We’re delighted that this growth will be overseen by some of the people that have created some of its’ brightest moments,” says Jon Ola Sand, Executive Supervisor ESC for the EBU.
“The timing is perfect. Outside of sports, the Eurovision Song Contest is the biggest TV show on Earth, it unites a continent and everybody gets to vote. We can’t wait to introduce this wonderful competition to the biggest TV market in the world. TV/video audiences are getting bigger every year, so this is the perfect time to bring this exciting show to the American public,” says Peter Settman, CEO and Creative Director of Brain Academy.
ESCplus had the chance to talk to Anders Lenhoff in Tel Aviv, soon after the agreement between Brain Academy and the EBU was final. Check out the interview below:
If you want to stay tuned to the moves around this competition, you can check the official website by clicking here.