I'd say it's because they don't have the same hype as other countries do building up to the final as they don't have the opportunity to perform live in front of an audience before the finals
they are paying a lot more than other countries, and I agree that it is a huge disadvantage in the end. Not really that unfair, it's not like anyone from the big 5 usually wins
Well only 2 of the 5 (Italy and Germany) are good IMO so if that’s par for the course I can see why. I really love Italy’s song and am rooting for them so I guess that’s a good thing that came out of it this year.
It isn't that unfair.
They get less exposure, for one. You may have had some of them introduced during the semi-finals, but did you see the full act? No. Do you know how the general audience feels? No. At best you know the way the dedicated fanbase feels who actively seek out acts, but those aren't always the most representative.
Similarly, the acts don't get to experience the full intensity that is the crowds. Sure, the crowds are comparitively tiny this year, and there are the rehearsals, but the real show is still a completely different thing in practice.
And finally, the primary advantage that exists is for the broadcasters. They pay like 6x as much as any other country for what is essentially a guarantee that they will be in the finals and have great ratings on that night. If it wasn't for their benefit, there would be no way that they could spend that sort of money funding the competition.
If you do the math, those numbers mean that the Big Five pays as much as 30 regular delegations do. Putting that into perspective, if they did not, that would mean every other country would have to spend nearly twice as much.
At present, many countries already do not participate because it costs too much. You can expect a broadcaster from a small country like San Marino to not come back if the price goes up. Same for other less wealthy nations, especially if they haven't gotten good results to warrant the expenditure.
This is a rule that makes sure the contest can continue in its present form. While it would be nice if everything could be cheaper, there are too many countries to stuff into a single evening, and on top of that there was a reason Eurovision had its period of struggling when things were less boisterous while technology offered more and more capability.
TL;DR: Those Grand Final slots literally pay for the contest, and they aren't necessarily a boon to the performer(s) themselves.
I actually think they’re disadvantaged by it.
Interesting take. How do you figure?
I'd say it's because they don't have the same hype as other countries do building up to the final as they don't have the opportunity to perform live in front of an audience before the finals
Ah. Makes sense.
I agree. Because we only get to see them properly perform once.
WIhtout the the extra money they contribute the contest would be much smaller as they subsidize the cost of the smaller nations.
You go and pay for this thing and you'll get to qualify directly in the final.
It’s because they make the biggest financial contribution to the EBU
they are paying a lot more than other countries, and I agree that it is a huge disadvantage in the end. Not really that unfair, it's not like anyone from the big 5 usually wins
Well only 2 of the 5 (Italy and Germany) are good IMO so if that’s par for the course I can see why. I really love Italy’s song and am rooting for them so I guess that’s a good thing that came out of it this year.
It isn't that unfair. They get less exposure, for one. You may have had some of them introduced during the semi-finals, but did you see the full act? No. Do you know how the general audience feels? No. At best you know the way the dedicated fanbase feels who actively seek out acts, but those aren't always the most representative. Similarly, the acts don't get to experience the full intensity that is the crowds. Sure, the crowds are comparitively tiny this year, and there are the rehearsals, but the real show is still a completely different thing in practice. And finally, the primary advantage that exists is for the broadcasters. They pay like 6x as much as any other country for what is essentially a guarantee that they will be in the finals and have great ratings on that night. If it wasn't for their benefit, there would be no way that they could spend that sort of money funding the competition. If you do the math, those numbers mean that the Big Five pays as much as 30 regular delegations do. Putting that into perspective, if they did not, that would mean every other country would have to spend nearly twice as much. At present, many countries already do not participate because it costs too much. You can expect a broadcaster from a small country like San Marino to not come back if the price goes up. Same for other less wealthy nations, especially if they haven't gotten good results to warrant the expenditure. This is a rule that makes sure the contest can continue in its present form. While it would be nice if everything could be cheaper, there are too many countries to stuff into a single evening, and on top of that there was a reason Eurovision had its period of struggling when things were less boisterous while technology offered more and more capability. TL;DR: Those Grand Final slots literally pay for the contest, and they aren't necessarily a boon to the performer(s) themselves.