Eurovision 2022, the Internet effect version

Measuring Eurovision's Footprint on the Internet

For the 66th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, held in Turin, Italy, the event's ripple effects were visible not only in the arena but also in the DNS traffic patterns of the 40 participating countries. With two semi-finals on May 10 and 12 and a grand final on May 14, 2022, the contest generated measurable shifts across national broadcaster sites, dedicated fan communities, and major video platforms.

This analysis relies on DNS name resolution data, with baseline values derived from the preceding week's average. The minute-by-minute views use the traffic average of May 9 and 10 as their baseline. All times referenced are Central European Summer Time (CEST).

The Overall Picture: Dips During Broadcasts, Surges After

Aggregate internet traffic across the 40 participant countries showed a telling pattern during the semi-finals: a slight decrease during the live show, likely because audiences were watching national TV broadcasts, followed by a return to normal levels shortly after the events concluded between 21:00 and 23:00.

This trend was less pronounced during the second semi-final but became strikingly clear on the night of the final. Traffic was 6% lower than the previous Saturday after 21:00, with the most notable dip around 22:00. However, once the last of the 25 competing songs concluded at roughly 23:15, traffic rebounded and remained 4–6% higher than usual until 02:00.

Several countries displayed similar traffic shifts during the final, including France, the UK, Germany, Iceland, Greece, and Switzerland. In the UK, where an estimated eight million viewers tuned into the BBC broadcast, traffic began dropping below normal at 20:30, reached 20% lower at 22:00, and only returned to expected levels after 23:00 when the song performances wrapped up.

Fan Sites: Peak Activity When It Matters Most

Dedicated Eurovision fan websites experienced the most dramatic changes. DNS traffic to these sites during the first semi-final was 33x the weekly average, spiking clearly at 22:00. The second semi-final generated 42x more traffic at the same hour. The final comfortably surpassed both, hitting 70x at 22:00 and reaching an 86x peak at 23:00, reflecting the far longer runtime of the finale.

The extended nature of the final (over four hours versus roughly two hours for the semi-finals) meant traffic patterns evolved differently. Traffic to fan sites dropped from 86x to 45x at midnight but surged again to 49x at around 01:00 CEST when Ukraine was announced the winner. The following morning revealed yet more activity, with a 20x peak around 09:00 and additional interest at 11:00.

Examining fan site traffic minute by minute makes the patterns even clearer. In both semi-finals, the highest activity aligned with the announcement of the finalists at approximately 23:12, when each event was ending.

Ranking the most impactful moments in fan site traffic reveals the performance schedule's direct influence:

First semi-final, May 10

1. 22:47 Sum up of all the songs
2. 22:25 Norway's song (Subwoolfer, "Give That Wolf a Banana")
3. 21:42 Bulgaria's song (Intelligent Music Project, "Intention")
4. 21:51 Moldova's song (Zdob și Zdub and Advahov Brothers, "Trenulețul")
5. 22:20 Greece's song (Amanda Georgiadi Tenfjord, "Die Together")

Second semi-final, May 12

1. 21:22 Between Serbia (Konstrakta, "In corpore sano") and Azerbaijan (Nadir Rustamli, "Fade to Black")
2. 22:48 Voting period starts
3. 22:30 Czech Republic's song (We Are Domi, "Lights Off")
4. 22:38 Laura Pausini & Mika performing a cover of "Fragile"
5. 22:21 Belgium's song (Jérémie Makiese, "Miss You")

Final, May 14

1. 23:11 Between Serbia (Konstrakta, "In corpore sano") and Estonia (Stefan, "Hope")
2. 23:33 Sum up of all the songs
3. 23:57 Voting ended
4. 23:19 Sum up of all the songs
5. 23:01 Ending of the United Kingdom's song (Sam Ryder, "Space Man")

Broadcaster Sites: A Modest Lift

Official national broadcaster websites showed a subtler but measurable effect. Aggregate traffic across the 40 broadcasters was roughly 6% higher than baseline at 23:00 during both semi-finals. The final was more pronounced, with DNS traffic 18% higher than the previous Saturday at 23:00, and 50% above the previous day's levels.

Minute-by-minute data for broadcaster sites across the three evenings reveals the final produced the largest gains, particularly after 23:00, when the show's extended format kept viewers engaged well past the semi-finals' usual end time.

The most significant traffic spikes on broadcaster sites during the final corresponded to:

1. 21:52 Best moments clip of the two semi-finals
2. 21:00 Contest starts
3. 00:24 Sam Ryder interviewed after reaching #1 in the voting
4. 01:09 Ukraine's (Kalush Orchestra, "Stefania") performance as winner
5. 01:02 Ukraine announced as Eurovision 2022 winner

Video Platforms: The Post-Show Effect

Given Eurovision's strong presence on YouTube and TikTok — including live transmissions of all three nights — video platform traffic also showed clear changes. On May 10, traffic saw more growth before the contest began, reflecting early curiosity about the new contestants. But the final generated more activity than the semi-finals after 23:16, once all 25 songs had been performed and attention shifted to fillers, recaps, and the voting sequence.

At 1:11 CEST, when the final concluded, video platform traffic was 31% higher than on May 10 and 38% higher than on May 12, marking the most significant difference of any event evening.

A Unique Perspective: Australia

As one of the 40 participants, Australia provided an interesting case study despite the eight-hour time difference. DNS traffic to video platforms was 22% higher at 23:00 CEST (07:00 local time in Australia) than the previous Saturday, continuing at roughly 17% above baseline in the following hours. Before that peak, traffic ran 20% and 17% higher at 22:00 and 21:00 CEST respectively, as the event began.

Social Media and the Winning Moment

General social media traffic across the participating countries was less affected overall, but did register a spike at 01:00 CEST during the final, coinciding with the vote tally between Ukraine and the UK. Ukraine specifically showed a clear disruption to its usual overnight slowdown after 01:02 CEST (02:02 local time) when Kalush Orchestra's "Stefania" was declared the winner.

The Nature of the Eurovision Effect

Large-scale entertainment events create distinct patterns in internet traffic. Fan and broadcaster websites feel direct impacts tied to performance timing. Video platforms show related activity, particularly during extended broadcasts. And at the broadest level, national internet traffic tends to dip during peak viewing moments, when audiences are fixed on traditional TV broadcasts.

The June data from these three nights in Turin demonstrates how a single global event can shift internet behavior across multiple countries and platforms simultaneously, offering a clear window into the relationship between live events, media consumption, and digital engagement.