JJ triumphed at the ESC: 800,000 spectators experience the victory up close!

JJ triumphed at the ESC: 800,000 spectators experience the victory up close!

Basel, Schweiz - on Saturday evening, May 17, 2025, Johannes Pietsch alias JJ appeared in the 69th Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) in Basel and won with his song "Wasted Love". The performance was followed by 1.14 million viewers on ORF 1. The awarding of the points was particularly exciting after midnight, which still saw just under 800,000 people. With this, ORF 1 achieved a market share of 48 percent throughout the event, which increase to an impressive 63 percent when it was awarded. This spectator interest was as high as in the previous year, when Kaleen only landed in the penultimate place with "We Will Rave" and reached 1.1 million viewers, so OE24 .

In Germany, the ESC final was also persecuted by many. Here, a total of 9.13 million people switched on to ARD and One, including the ARD 8.55 million viewers and a market share of 43.8 percent. This is the best ratio for ARD since 2016. Interestingly, a record mark of almost 80 percent was achieved for the 14- to 29-year-olds. This success was also supplemented by 2.17 million streams of the show in the online offers of the ARD, emphasized The spot media Film .

market share and number of spectators

The ratings around the Eurovision Song Contest were remarkable in Germany and Austria. In the compilation of the number of spectators for the overall audience on Saturday, the ESC took first place in the ratings:

At the international level, the Eurovision Song Contest has a long tradition and attracts viewers from many countries. The first edition took place in 1956 and the event is organized by the European Radio Union (EBU). Switzerland secured the third first placement with Nemo's victory last year, while Germany landed in 15th place this year. The German artists Abor & Tynna competed with their song "Baller" and round off the image of this year's ESC, with Statista Information about the historical performance and viewing development in the context of the competition Provided.

Despite the declining global switch-on quotas, the ESC remains a relevant TV event. In 2024, around 163 million viewers turned up worldwide, and the German ratings in 2024 were around 7.38 million. The best number of spectators was reached in 1980 and 2010 when the competition still had a significantly larger viewer base.