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Eurovision 2009 breaks Norway record
Biggest tv audience of all time
More than half the entire population of Norway tuned in to see the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest, almost half a million more viewers than a year before when Maria Haukass Storeng reached fifth place with the Mira Craig song Hold on be strong.
Alexander Rybak has become a national icon in Norway since winning the national final Melodi Grand Prix with the biggest ever televote in NRK's history. He went on to win the most points ever at the Eurovision Song Contest, along with the record for the biggest winning margin and the most top marks ever received in the competition.
Related polls
- Norway: Vote for your favourite song in the final of Melodi Grand Prix
- Azerbaijan: Vote for your favourite act in the final of Milli Seçim Turu
- Hungary: Vote for your favourite act in the final of A Dal
- Iceland: Vote for your favourite song in the final of Songvakeppni Sjonvarpsins
- Malta: Vote for your favourite act in the final of Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2012
- Hungary: Vote for your favourite act in the second semifinal of A Dal
- Norway: Vote for your favourite song in the third semifinal of Melodi Grand Prix
- Sweden: Vote for your favourite act in the first semifinal of Melodifestivalen
- Malta: Vote for your favourite act in the semifinal of Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2012
- Bulgaria: Vote for your favourite act in the Bulgarian national final 2012
- Latvia: Vote for your favourite act in the final of Eirodziesma 2012
- Belarus: Vote for your favourite act in the final of EuroFest 2012
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Next year, it will be great in Norway!
http://www.tengaged.(...)m/user/ismael/thanks
ESC suddenly became very boring for me .... Next year I won't watch the rehearsals and I won't even know the draw ..... TO MAKE IT MORE EXCITING
Patte
I read that 3.12 million people watched the final in Sweden 
Actually it wasn't 2,003,000 but 2,300,000! But this was during Alexander's performance.
haha in sweden it was a decline by almost 700.000 xD, only 2,5 million watched it, but it was the most watched program during the week in 2002 4,7 million watched too compear 
Congratulations to Alexander! He deserved the first place.
But there is a strange situation in Ukraine. According to ESC results Ukraine gave 8 points to Prihodko but the president of NTKU (national Ukrainian TV company) declared that the Ukrainian jury gave 0 points to Russia and unprofessional jury – not much more than that. An official letter was sent to EBU.
FALSIFICATION OF ESC RESULTS?
Heja Norge!
I can't wait!
Whoa! 
Good news It seems in most countries the viewing figures have gone up this year, from what we've heard they only decreased in Spain But they've increased by significant numbers in 3 of the Big 4 which is fantastic
Fantastic show,
will be even better next year in Oslo
p.s. i agree with you about the semi hosts SO BAD
Here in Denmark the ESC had 50% more viewers than last year, 1,5 million tuned in and the show was the most watched programme of the week.
Lily Bel, let guess....you believe that the best ever ESC was in Belgrade?
Serbians are our Slavic brothers, but they can't compete with mother Russia. ;-)
Sorry, but this article needs some corrections:
The 2009 Eurovision Song Contest is NOT the most watched television show in Norwegian history. First of all, electronic monitoring only started in 1992, and it's a safe bet that the ESC had an even greater following in the 70s and 80s, before the arrival of competing channels.
Secondly, since 1992, no less than 8 TV programmes have been watched by more than 2,003,000 people, including the 1996 ESC from Oslo which is second on the list with 2,034,000 viewers. Norway's most popular tv programme since 1992 is a football match: Norway vs Mexico at the World Cup in 1994.
Also, 2,003,000 are NOT more than half of the entire population of Norway. The country has around 4,7 million inhabitants. On the other hand, the ratings only account for viewers aged 12 and over.
Norway may have scored the most points ever at the Eurovision Song Contest (387), but NOT in relation to it's potential maximum (492). "Fairytale" scored 78,65% of it's total potential. The highest scorer ever is Luxembourg 1973, with 129 out of 160: 80,6%. But the jury system was different, and everybody received points from everybody else.
The highest scorer since the introduction of the present voting system remains UK 1976: 164 out of 204: 80,4%. In terms of potential score, two other winners beat "Fairytale": Germany 1982 (78,9%) and UK 1997 (78,8%). This makes Norway 2009 the 4th highest scorer since the introduction of the present voting system.
On the other hand, "Fairytale" sets the record for the biggest winning margin since 1975 (Iceland's entry only received 56,3% of Norway's score), pushing Germany 1982 into second place (that year, Israel's score was 62,1% of Germany's). However, in the 60s there were no less than 4 winners with much bigger margins to no. 2: Austria 1966, France 1962, UK 1967 and above all Italy 1964, who scored almost 3 times as much as no. 2 (49 to 17).
Norway 2009 did in deed score the most top marks ever received by one entry. But 16 top marks is "only" 39% of the potential of 41. The record holder of top marks remains Italy 1964: 8 out of 15 (53,3%), closely followed by Germany 1982: 9 out of 17 (52,9%).
And what a spectacular show it was! My warmest congratulations go to the Russian organisers for staging the best Eurovision Song Contest Ever. It was a pure pleasure to watch and the extra bonus of having lots of great songs competing made 2009 a year to remember. It certainly made my early flight to Norway worth-while.
The only thing that breaks my heart is that the Norwegian public and media are currently slamming the poor Norwegian commentator for getting overly excited in the booth and sharing intimate details about the contents of her bra with an unsuspecting general public. I thought she was very funny and did an excellent job, at least up until the voting started and she started interviewing ministers and icons rather than paying attention to the votes coming in. But this is the first time since Jostein Pedersen was booted that I've actually enjoyed the Norwegian commentary, so HEIA SØNNØVE! You rock!
And a big THANK YOU to everyone who voted for Norway!
I hope to go to Norway next year. I hope it's lots of fun!
Congratulations NORWAY can't wait for ESC 2010!!!!
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