The Eurovision Song Contest celebrates its 70th edition this year in Vienna, with Semi-Finals on Tuesday 12 and Thursday 14 May and the Grand Final set for Saturday 16 May. In this context, Eurovision Services plays a central role in ensuring seamless contribution and distribution. Mathieu Miraucourt, Project Management Office Team Leader at Eurovision Services, outlines for TM BROADCAST the key elements of the project and the main challenges behind one of the most demanding live productions on the broadcast calendar

Few live productions operate under the pressure that defines the Eurovision Song Contest. Now in its 70th edition, taking place in Vienna, the event reaches its conclusion on Saturday 16 May. With dozens of incoming signals and limited testing windows, the technical operation behind it becomes a high-intensity exercise in coordination and resilience.

In recent years, that complexity has been further amplified by the current geopolitical situation, meaning organisers and technical partners have reinforced security protocols across the entire production chain, from signal contribution to final distribution.

At the heart of this operation is Eurovision Services, responsible for both the global distribution of the event and one of its most technically demanding segments: the live voting sequence.

Originally part of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), Eurovision Services has evolved from the operational backbone of the Eurovision network into a global provider of contribution and distribution services for live events. Established as a standalone company in 2019, it now operates as a private entity delivering large-scale transmissions across sports, news and entertainment, while continuing to support flagship events such as the Eurovision Song Contest.

“Redundancy is key. We never rely on a single transmission method”

A dual operation: global distribution and live contribution

Eurovision Services’ role is twofold. On one hand, it manages the worldwide distribution of the signal from the host venue to broadcasters around the globe, still largely relying on satellite. On the other, it handles the contribution layer for the voting segment, a complex network of live connections linking dozens of countries in real time.

“There are participating broadcasters from 35 countries using a spokesperson,” explains Mathieu Miraucourt, Project Management Office Team Leader at Eurovision Services. “It’s a live stand-up from all of them, including Australia. So we establish live duplex connections with those 35 countries when each spokesperson gives the 12 points.”

This means coordinating potentially 70 simultaneous transmissions within a very limited time frame, ensuring that each contributor is technically ready, properly connected and fully synchronised with the live show. “We have to make sure all spokespersons are ready, that they have picture and sound, that the transmission is stable, and we don’t have much time to rehearse.”

“We rehearse twice: once the day before and once just before the show. Two sessions to validate 70 transmissions simultaneously — and we deliver, every time”

Density as the main challenge

The voting sequence represents one of the most critical and fragile moments of the broadcast. Asked about the main challenges of this type of production, Mathieu Miraucourt points to one key factor: “The density — the volume of transmissions in a very limited amount of time.”

Unlike other productions, where extensive testing is standard, Eurovision operates under severe time constraints. “We rehearse twice: once the day before and once just before the show,” Miraucourt explains. “Two sessions to validate 70 transmissions simultaneously — and we deliver, every time”

The challenge is not only technical, but also operational. Eurovision Services goes beyond its traditional role of signal transmission to ensure that each spokesperson can hear the production team, receive the results and go live without disruption. “Usually, Eurovision Services focuses only on transmission, not on content coordination. But here, we ensure each spokesperson can hear us, is properly equipped, and that the transmission works. Then we check that they have the results and send them on air.”

“We need pre-established plans with production to react quickly. Everything is defined in advance”

At the same time, tight coordination with the production team is essential. Any delay or technical issue in a country connection can force last-minute changes to the running order, decisions that must be instantly communicated to the director and even the host on stage.

“If the host announces a country and we’ve had to skip it, it creates a mismatch,” Miraucourt explains. “So we must inform production immediately, and that information must reach the host in time. It’s a very tight coordination.”

“We start this coordination about one hour before going on air, and again, we only do it twice. It’s a very intense process,” he adds.

All of this is underpinned by carefully pre-defined operational plans designed to keep the sequence running smoothly under pressure. “We need pre-established plans with production to react quickly. Everything is defined in advance,” Miraucourt explains. “For example, if a spokesperson is not ready, we skip them and move that country to the end of the sequence. It sounds basic, but if it’s not pre-planned, it can go wrong.”

“Everyone — from the host to the director and producer — knows these scenarios in advance,” he adds. “As a last resort, if we cannot establish the connection or receive the results, the host announces the points directly from the stage. These fallback scenarios are clearly defined.”

Redundancy as a core principle

To mitigate these risks, Eurovision Services structures its workflows around redundancy and diversification. “Redundancy is key. We never rely on a single transmission method,” says Miraucourt. “We always mix delivery methods: fiber plus satellite, satellite plus SRT, or SRT plus fiber. We don’t duplicate the same method twice — the idea is to diversify.”

This approach extends beyond transmission protocols. Reception is also distributed across different sites and networks, ensuring that failures in one segment do not compromise the entire operation.

“If there is jamming on satellite, we switch to fiber. If there is an issue on fiber, we use SRT. If SRT is impacted, we still have satellite. We also use different reception sites — not everything is on-site or on the same network. It’s a mix. The goal is to disperse risk.”

“This activism can target distribution or cybersecurity, and it can impact contribution as well. So we prepare for all scenarios, including physical security”

Security in a politicised environment

In recent years, the technical challenge has been compounded by external factors. As the contest has become increasingly politicised, the risk landscape has evolved accordingly. “There are more protests — sometimes peaceful, sometimes more active,” Miraucourt notes. “This activism can target distribution or cybersecurity, and it can impact contribution as well. So we prepare for all scenarios, including physical security.”

As a result, Eurovision Services conducts extensive risk assessments and deploys multiple layers of protection, including encryption, cybersecurity measures and even physical security considerations. The objective is clear: to anticipate every possible scenario and ensure continuity, regardless of the circumstances.

Satellite vs IP: an evolving balance

While satellite remains a cornerstone of Eurovision’s global distribution — particularly for one-to-many delivery — the broader industry shift towards IP-based workflows is increasingly evident. Protocols such as SRT are becoming more common, especially for contribution and for smaller-scale distribution scenarios. “The industry is moving towards IP-based workflows, and we move with it,” says Miraucourt. “Whether it’s satellite, SRT or a combination of both, we have the experience to reach every corner of the world with the right mix for each scenario.”

However, satellite continues to play a key role where reliability, scale and ecosystem compatibility are critical. “When you have a one-to-many distribution — one origin to many takers — satellite is still very relevant. In terms of quality and cost, it remains efficient when there are many receivers. It’s reliable, well established, and there is still a large ecosystem able to receive satellite transmissions,” he explains.

Content protection also remains a decisive factor, particularly in a context where broadcasters invest heavily in rights. “Broadcasters pay significant amounts for rights, so they need secure delivery. That’s why we implement encryption and entitlement systems — meaning we control at the origin who is allowed to decode the signal.”

“We always mix delivery methods: fiber plus satellite, satellite plus SRT, or SRT plus fiber. We don’t duplicate the same method twice — the idea is to diversify”

A controlled ecosystem

One factor that simplifies operations, at least partially, is the nature of the Eurovision ecosystem itself. As all participating broadcasters are members of the European Broadcasting Union, technical capabilities are well understood and largely standardised.

“We know their capabilities, and the setup is quite standardised,” says Mathieu Miraucourt. “We work with them all year long, often delivering sports content as well.”

…and a unique production environment

Even so, Eurovision remains a unique production environment, distinct from the sports workflows that dominate much of Eurovision Services’ activity. “We have teams both on-site and at headquarters supporting the event. Many of the people on-site have worked on the contest up to 15 times,” he notes.

“The Eurovision Song Contest is unlike anything else we do — and that is precisely what makes it special,” Miraucourt concludes. “The scale, the live pressure, the emotional weight of the event: it demands the very best from every part of our operation. And that is exactly what our team delivers, year after year.”

 “The Eurovision Song Contest is unlike anything else we do — and that is precisely what makes it special. The scale, the live pressure, the emotional weight of the event: it demands the very best from every part of our operation”