Eurovision viewership on BBC hits 15-year low

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign thanked the public after BBC’s Eurovision viewership hit a 15-year low because of Israel’s inclusion in the contest.

The BBC’s live broadcast of the Eurovision final had the lowest viewership in 15 years. Millions are heeding call from Palestinians and are refusing to watch because of the continued platforming of genocidal Israel. We will continue to boycott until Israel is excluded. pic.twitter.com/C4KnmwEAPS

— Palestine Solidarity Campaign (@PSCupdates) May 20, 2026

The group added that the boycott will continue until Israel is excluded from the contest.

Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland, and Slovenia all withdrew because of Israel’s inclusion, with some of their national broadcasters refusing to air the show.

The BBC called the boycott the “biggest in Eurovision’s 70-year history” and warned that the fallout of the five countries leaving may “change the competition forever.”

Eurovision — Israel came second

Israel came in second for the second consecutive time. Bulgaria won the contest.

According to The National, Israeli public broadcaster Kan received a formal warning from organisers over videos posted online in which contestant Noam Bettan courted votes too aggressively, after a similar controversy involving Israel last year.

Boos could reportedly be heard in the arena when Israel’s televote tally was announced, echoing scenes from last year’s final.

An investigation, published recently by The New York Times, found that Israel spent more than $800,000 on advertising around the 2024 Eurovision contest in Malmö, Sweden, with funding linked to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s public diplomacy office.

Clearly, Israel thinks that winning a song competition can wash the stains of a genocide. It can’t. They can spend all the money in the world and viewing numbers for Eurovision will keep falling with Israel’s inclusion.

Featured image via Heinz-Peter Bader/Getty Images