Official figures show Moldova and Serbia saw Eurovision viewing spikes after the Grand Final

Official audience figures released on May 23 showed Eurovision 2026 television audiences jumped in both Moldova and Serbia after each country returned to the Grand Final. Eurovision Fun, citing Teleradio-Moldova and data released in Serbia through OGAE Serbia from broadcaster RTS, said the increases came a week after the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna. Moldova had returned to the contest after a one-year absence, while Serbia reached the final after failing to qualify in 2025. The new figures point to a direct rebound in domestic viewing once both countries were back on the Saturday show. ### How big was the increase in Moldova? Teleradio-Moldova said the May 2026 Grand Final drew 67,054 viewers and an average market share of 20.94% for Moldova 1. The audience peaked at 37.41% during the voting sequence, according to figures cited by Eurovision Fun and separately reported by Logos Press. Moldova’s broadcaster said that final audience was 251% higher than the country’s 2024 Grand Final audience and 375% above 2025, when Moldova did not take part and the show was watched by 17,880 viewers. (eurovisionfun.com) The first semi-final, in which Moldova competed, drew 72,954 viewers and a 16.59% share, while the second semi-final recorded a 9.7% share. ### What changed for Moldova this year? Moldova returned to Eurovision in 2026 after sitting out the 2025 contest, and that return coincided with one of its better competitive results in recent years. Eurovision Fun said Satoshi’s “Viva, Moldova!” finished eighth in the Grand Final with 226 points, including 183 from the public vote. (eurovisionfun.com) Eurovision Fun reported that the result was Moldova’s fourth-best placing in its Eurovision history. The outlet also said the Moldovan entry received the maximum 12 televote points from Italy, Romania and Ukraine. ### What do the Serbia numbers show? Serbia’s Grand Final audience reached 1.45 million viewers with a 26.9% viewing share on RTS, according to figures attributed to OGAE Serbia and cited by Eurovision Fun. (eurovisionfun.com) The first semi-final, in which Serbia performed, drew 1.1 million viewers and a 19.1% share, while the second semi-final recorded a 14.4% share. The comparison with 2025 was stark. Eurovision Fun reported last year that Serbia’s 2025 Grand Final broadcast drew only a 5.2% audience share after the country failed to qualify, the weakest final performance in Serbia since 2013. This year’s 26.9% share followed Serbia’s return to the Saturday final. ### Who represented Serbia, and where did it finish? (eurovisionfun.com) LAVINA represented Serbia in Vienna with “Kraj Mene” and finished 17th in the Grand Final with 90 points, according to Eurovision Fun’s May 23 report. The same report said Serbia received 12 points from both juries and televoters in Croatia and Montenegro. (eurovisionfun.com) Eurovoix also listed separate May 23 items on Moldova and Serbia’s 2026 viewing figures, indicating that broadcaster-linked audience data from both countries was released in the days after the contest. ### Where were the figures published? Eurovision Fun published its audience roundup on May 23, 2026, one week after the Grand Final in Vienna. Logos Press separately reported Teleradio-Moldova’s figures the same day, and Eurovoix’s Eurovision 2026 archive shows companion items on both Moldova and Serbia’s ratings dated May 23. (eurovisionfun.com) (eurovoix.com) The next official benchmark will come when more broadcasters and Eurovision trade outlets publish post-contest audience comparisons for 2026, including country-by-country ratings tallies from the Vienna final. (eurovisionfun.com 1) (eurovisionfun.com 2)