Rotterdam 2021

🇨🇦 OMNI Television to broadcast Eurovision 2021 in Canada

Off to Canada... again!

Canadian broadcaster OMNI Television has confirmed that they will air this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, meaning that Canadian viewers will be able to watch the contest on TV. The broadcaster previously showed the 2019 contest, held in Tel Aviv. They were also due to air last year’s contest from Rotterdam.

OutTV, which focuses on LGBTQ+ programming, also broadcast the contest in 2014 and 2015. OMNI Television took over the broadcasting of the contest for Canadian audiences in 2019. OMNI Television launched as a broadcaster in Toronto in 1979, before launching a national system in 2002.

This is Canada calling!

Earlier this week, OMNI Television tweeted that they would be broadcasting the contest that is “set to be better than ever”.

It is currently unknown whether the contest will be broadcast live on the channel, with broadcast details yet to be announced.

Canada’s history at the Eurovision Song Contest

Canada has a long history of Eurovision links, with many well-known Eurovision alumni hailing from the country. The first Canadian artist on the Eurovision stage was Sherisse Laurence in 1986. She represented Luxembourg with “L’amour de ma vie” earning the country a very respectable 3rd place.

However, the most well-known Canadian Eurovision artist took to the stage two years later. Céline Dion – who hadn’t yet found fame as one of the world’s most famous singers – represented Switzerland with “Ne partez pas sans moi”. Winning by just one point, she became Switzerland’s second Eurovision winner after Lys Assia in 1956.

Other artists with links to Canada have also had a spin at the contest including Lara Fabian in 1988 (who grew up in Canada), Canadian-born Annie Cotton in 1993, Natasha St-Pier in 2001 and Greece’s Katerina Duska in 2018 (who was also born in Canada). With these strong links, there were even talks in 2006 for a Eurovision spin-off in Canada!

https://youtu.be/msCXb5xt_I4

Any Canadian fans: will you be watching? Are you happy Eurovision is opening their borders to more countries?

Let us know in the comments below and on social media @ESCXTRA.

One Comment

  1. The evidence is clear that Canada needs to participate in Eurovision. Our diversity and multiculturalism fits the description of what is needed at Eurovision. We are more qualified than the US to participate.
    I\’m not in favour of OMNI broadcasting it. It should be CBC (Canada\’s public broadcaster) showing Eurovision and then make an effort with EBU to join Eurovision in any way. We\’ll even accept Junior Eurovision as a start.
    Not to mention, Canada (CBC) has an associate membership with the European Broadcasting Union.

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