USA: American Song Contest doesn't start until 2022

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The Russian candidate Maizha at the Eurovision Song Contest: The US version is scheduled to start in 2022

Photo: PATRICK VAN EMST / POOL / EPA

The Eurovision Song Contest has already taken place 65 times.

For many, the music competition has long since achieved cult status - also outside of the participating countries.

The USA will now get their own version, but not until 2022 and not by the end of 2021.

As the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), based in Geneva, announced on the outskirts of the ESC in Rotterdam, the television broadcaster NBC has secured the rights to broadcast the first song contest in the USA. Last summer it was said that the American Song Contest might be on the screens as early as Christmas 2021.

The Eurovision Song Contest has had fans in the USA for several years. In 2016, the cable broadcaster Logo broadcast the ESC final for the first time. US stars like Justin Timberlake (2016 in Stockholm) and Madonna (2019 askew in Tel Aviv) had their Eurovision moments as break stars - so-called interval acts. In 2021, US rapper Flo Rida took part in San Marino - together with singer Senhit, he reached 22nd place out of 26 in the final on Sunday night. Germany was penultimate. Italy won.

In the American Song Contest, the 50 states, outlying areas and the capital Washington are each to send an act into the race, as »eurovision.de« reported.

The states can choose either solo artists, duos or bands with up to six members.

The American Song Contest is to be held over three rounds.

A qualifying round is to be followed by a semi-final round and then the grand final.

The organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest have been working on worldwide versions for years.

A Eurovision Asia Song Contest has also been in development for some time.

asc / dpa