Eurovision Song Contest 2023

[bottomlesspit]

Congrats to Adamross for the early flagging of Sweden. Enjoy your fortnight in the Bahamas!
The value has absolutely vanished in the meantime, but there are some interesting bets in the alternative markets

Ukraine 9/2 to win the phone vote for example. The song is horrendous, but there may be enough people out there prepared to overlook that and text in a bit of sympathy. I am sure the war theme will be hammered home with this being officially their hosting year.

Armenia is clocking up massive YT views - top for both April and March, I believe. 5/1 for a top 5 finish and 11/8 for top 10. As big as 10-1 to win Semi 2, with pretty much only Austria to beat, to my ears.
Austria one of the two bookie-splitters - as long as 66 or as short as 20s to win the whole thing, depending where you back them
Israel similarly between 12-1 and 33s

Croatia 4/1 to be top Balkan - the song and outfits are batshit crazy and I am not hearing much in either Slovenia or Serbia, the two ahead of Croatia in this market.

Finally, Sweden 11/4 to win Semi1, but odds on to win the whole thing. I appreciate it is a voting thing, but it did turn my head.

[meldettori]

So, here we are, another Eurovision having come and gone, and Sweden made history, not only they have 7 wins, does that equal or pass Ireland?, but definitely Loreen becomes second artist to have won twice after Johnny Logan.

There wasn't much quality in this year's Eurovision or I'd have been more vocal here. I did think Finland had a squeak, I was tweeting about it during the night how "Mr. Nicu" wants his Pina Coladas, how wants to party.. and that's a misheard lyrics situation, and thought Romania in particular would have given them high votes, but apparently "Cha Cha Cha" has become this year's Subwoolfers and the Arena absolutely loved Finland.

Scandinavia dominated even without the two other countries making up the isles.
History made.
Thanks Systemsman for caring and giving this a go this year.
On to Sweden again next year! I hope quality improves.

[adamross]

Yes, I didn't think there was the all round quality of previous years.
In the end, Sweden won quite comfortably (by over 50 points), but the order of the voting keeps the excitement and nerves going until the end!
Amazing that the winners did not gain a single maximum from any of the countries public votes - wow!

Let's go again next year and hopefully help each other to some profit in which is a unique and specialist betting event!

[bottomlesspit]

Agreed that the standard was poor
My daughter just happened to randomly play Norway's old 'Give that Wolf a Banana' on saturday morning , and I couldn't help but think it would have been Top 3 this year.

Jury system needs a tweek in my opinion.
Finnland crushed the Fan vote
376 votes v 253 isn't even close - just shy of 50% more votes
Il Divo (Italy) a few years ago also slaughtered the fan vote by something like 50%, only to come 2nd.
Surely the purpose of the jury voting system is not to sabotage a genuine result - although Loreen was hardly a rank outsider.

The one that got away this year was Italy to finish top of the Big 5. Juicy odds of around 5-1 last week, when France was there to be shot at. I backed Spain, which in hindsight was insanity, and I will be cursing my stupidity into the middle of next week.