Eurovision and its technological transformation over the years

Eurovision is the music contest that, every year, captures the attention of Europe. And it is not only a competition of what is the best song, but the whole staging is a show that involves the voices of the contestants. This is so thanks to the technology behind the show.

Already at the time, the creators of Eurovision saw in the festival a great opportunity to test live television broadcasts, and see how far it could go. But today it is difficult to be aware of all the technological and audiovisual deployment that exists and is improving, in this annual contest. Countries seek to dazzle through innovation, which entails challenges of great difficulty that, beyond voices and songs, turn the stage into a showcase of lights, images, and sounds.

Technological data

Putting the above in context, here we have some Eurovision 2016 data that give us an idea of ​​all the material and technology that is required:

• 1828 luminaires
• 71 million pixels
• 143 kilometers of cable
• 19 video servers
• 900 m2 of high resolution led screens

In addition, a few years ago the Eurovision Flex system was introduced, a digital transmission tool that self-manages and makes it possible for broadcasters to transmit live content through a network layer composed of the Internet, fiber and satellite. The content is delivered safely, quickly and profitably, and makes the choice of the network to suit your needs, reaching the homes of viewers around the world.

In 2015, Microsoft became a technological partner of the contest, because it aimed to take music beyond European borders:

• With the Azure platform, fans of the festival can watch the videos they want and distribute content in real time on television networks.
• With the app Eurovision Song Contest, you can watch the gala while you see all the information related to the singers and their songs and even vote them.
• They use Big Data to estimate the final Eurovision results.

Technical development during the 60 years of Eurovision

1. In 1956 the first festival was broadcast.
2. In 1968 it was his first color retransmission.
3. In 1994 they were the first live satellite connections with the spokesmen and the first fireworks on stage.
4. In 1996, the first virtual studio in the contest.
5. In 1997, the first pan-European televote.
6. In 2006, the first flying " Spider Camera " was introduced.
7. In 2009, scenes recorded using a Segway.
8. In 2013, the launch of the Eurovision app.
9. In 2016, the introduction of the Eurovision Flex system.

And this is a festival with a lot of history in which technology has always been transformed to satisfy its audience, adapting to trends, and evolving and risking each year in its path.