For the first time ever, Americans will be able to watch a live broadcast of Europe’s longest-running song contest, Eurovision. An estimated 50 million U.S. households will be able to tune in, according to The Guardian.
“We are thrilled to bring the event to U.S. audiences and cheer alongside the rest of the world,” said Chris McCarthy, general manager of Logo TV, which will broadcast the contest from Stockholm to America on May 14.
The annual song contest, whose theme this year is “Come Together,” is a huge hit across the pond and well-known for its ability to unite fans from different countries, who are able to vote on the singers by app, phone or SMS.
Eurovision estimates the singing attracts 180 million viewers worldwide. That’s well over the number who watched the 2016 Super Bowl.
While U.S. viewership on Saturday won’t rise to anywhere near the level for the country’s annual football extravaganza, there certainly is interest, particularly given that American singer Justin Timberlake will perform his song “Can’t Stop the Feeling” during the show’s grand finale.
Many performers found fame after winning the Eurovision contest, including Swedish pop group ABBA in 1974 and Canadian singer Celine Dion in 1988.
This year, performers from 42 countries will be hoping for similar outcomes, including Jamala, a Crimean Tatar from Ukraine who will perform “1944,” a song about the forced deportation of her grandmother by Stalin during World War II.