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Eurovision Asia-Pacific pushed out to 2018

EXCLUSIVE: Ambitious regional version of the Eurovision brand won't be happening in 2017 after all.

EXCLUSIVE: Plans for an Asia-Pacific version of the Eurovision Song Contest by SBS have been pushed back to 2018.

In March last year SBS announced it had secured the rights for a regional version with Blink TV for a 2017 event with up to 20 countries, under a license deal with the European Broadcasting Union.

Yesterday TV Tonight asked a spokesperson for Blink TV if the event would still be staged this year.

‘The answer is no, it’s not happening until 2018,” they replied.

The EBU has long harboured a desire to extend its brand globally.

It previously licensed rights for an Asia Pacific Contest to Asiavision Pte. Ltd., which announced an event for Macau in 2009, then Mumbai in 2010, including with an Australian entry from SBS. Neither event was ever realised.

But while Blink TV has direct experience in multiple Eurovisions, staging an event with diverse nations and broadcasters, including a structure for the competition element, is no mean feat.

This week Roadshow Films announced had invested 50% into Blink TV.

“Our big vision is to bring the Eurovision brand to Asia, with the support of SBS and the EBU; and Roadshow has a strong track record of successfully releasing entertainment projects through Northern Asia,” said Blink TV’s Paul Clarke.

5 Responses

  1. It’s telling the ABU already has 3 Asia-Pacific contests – all based on the Eurovision original – that nobody bothers to broadcast here, and there’s been a couple of earlier attempts at starting up a Eurovision-licenced “Asiavision Song Contest” that failed.

    1. Yes earlier attempts are noted in the story and in previous posts (including one where the licence holder insisted it is “DEFINITELY” happening… it definitely didn’t.). ABU has screened previously on SBS2 including with PopAsia hosting in South Korea. Check search.

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