Czech Television announced on 6 October 2026 on X that it will not take part in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027. It justified the decision by ongoing budget adjustments and gave no further details.[1][2] The broadcaster did not set a date for a possible return. It said it assesses each edition of the contest separately and does not want to anticipate when it will join again.[1][2]
Background
Aktuálně.cz and Deník N wrote about a possible withdrawal at the end of September 2026. According to Seznam Zprávy, it was linked to the planned abolition of licence fees, which the government is pushing; Milan Fridrich, director of the Programme and Digital Services division, described the talk of withdrawal as speculation at that time.[1] Lupa.cz reports that Deník N wrote about considerations by the broadcaster's management, which regards the contest as expensive and little watched. The official statement does not give viewership as a reason.[2]
According to Lupa.cz, in a reply to a freedom-of-information request dated 29 May 2024 the broadcaster put the total external costs of the Eurovision project at CZK 9.18 million. They covered the participation fee, selecting the entrant, transmission routes, transport, accommodation, fees and preparation of the performance.[2]
Czechia in the contest
The contest is organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), of which Czech Television is a member. Czechia first took part in 2007, skipped the contest after the 2009 edition and returned in 2015. The best Czech result is the sixth place of Mikolas Josef in 2018. In 2026, in the final of the 70th edition, Daniel Žižka finished sixteenth with the song Crossroads; Bulgaria won the contest.[1][2]
Related articles: Czech Television, Eurovision Song Contest
Chronology
- — Czech Television announced that it will not take part in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027, citing ongoing budget adjustments. Seznam Zprávy Lupa.cz
Sources
- Seznam Zprávy — 6 October 2026
- Lupa.cz — 6 October 2026