The story of the American Eurovision (bankrupt)

A colossal production effort and multimillion coststhe support of one of the largest US television networks such as the NBC, The conduct of two ultranote stars such as Snoop Dogg and Kelly Clarkson and the participation, in the race, of very popular artists in the American public such as Michael Bolton And Macy Gray. The project ofAmerican Song Contestthe American version of the Eurovision Song Contest, was on the interesting card. It is treated in detail, without leaving anything to chance. The event aimed to import the format of the ASC beyond the Atlantic, among the most anticipated media events, followed and commented on the old continent: a singing competition between states. If in the case of the Eurovision the states are the European ones, in that of the American Song Contest, they would of course have been the American ones. But the event proved to be a sensational flop. So much to be canceled after only one season.

The “American” Eurovision started with the best of the auspices, when in 2019 two former manufacturers of the European singing race, Christer Björkman and Ola Melzig, during a press conference linked to Tel Aviv’s Eurovisionon They announced that they had acquired the European Union of RadioDiffusion, which organizes the ESC – the rights for an adaptation of the competition for the US marketgenerating large expectations towards the American version of the event. Subsequently, the organizers revealed that at least ten large US networks had shown interest in the transmission of the American Song Contest. It was only in 2021 that the Uer announced that the National Broadcasting Company had acquired the production and transmission rights of the mega-event and that the show would be held between spring and summer of 2022 The first twists and turns arrived when it was announced that Michael Bolton would represent Connecticut with “Beautiful World” and that Macy Gray would sing for the Ohio “Every Night”. Among the singers in the race, the singer -songwriter Allen Stone (for Washington), the South Korean singer Alexa (for Oklahoma), the Big Beat Beat the Crystal Method duo (for Nevada), the singer Sisqó (for Maryland) and the former “Glee” Riker Lynch (for the Colorado).

Despite the hype and investments, the American Song Contest was unable to excite American spectators. The eight episodes of the show, larger and more articulated than the Eurovision, which instead only includes three of them, made them record listening to diligent listening: The first episode was seen by just 2.8 million spectators, equal to 0.50% share. The second from 1.8 million spectators, equal to 0.30% share. The first of the two semifinals was unable to go beyond 1.4 million spectators, equal to 0.30% share. The final made less listening to the first episode: it was seen for just over 2 million spectators. In the end, the American Song Contest closed with an average of 1.8 million spectators, equal to 0.33% share. Very low figures, which suggested to the NBC not to renew the contract for a second edition of the eventwhich is officially “on pause”, but in fact it has disappeared for three years from the American schedules.

What did not work? It is difficult to identify precisely the reasons that caused the failure of the operation. Perhaps the choice to articulate the American Song Contest as a reality show did not premier: unlike the Eurovision, the strength of which lies precisely in being condensed in three appointments included in a six -day time span, American producers thought they made the American version of the event an American Idol style show. Without considering, however, that American Idol already existed in the United States. Weight names were also missing to recall the attention of the general public: apart from Michael Bolton and Macy Gray, no other big artist of nationalpopular fame presented himself in the race at the event and the published found himself listening to the performances of perfect strangers such as Las Marias (Arizona), Sweet Taboo (California), Jesse Leprotti (Carolina del Sud), Nitro Nitra (Delaware), Ale Zabala (Florida) saying. For the record: he won the unknown Alexa, representative of Oklahoma, then disappeared from the radar.