ARD, one of the two broadcasters in charge of Germany’s Eurovision participation, has announced that an international vote is to be introduced to the voting system of their national selection show Unser Song 2017. Through this, international viewers will be able to cast their vote and have their say in who should represent Germany in Kyiv.
This international vote will be available through the official Eurovision app Eurovision Vibes. Through this app, fans will be able to view the rehearsals for the show from Wednesday 8th February as well as the show itself on Thursday 9th February, and cast their vote based on these performances. The vote will open at 20:15 CET on 8th February, and will remain open until the voting closes during the live show on Thursday. This will be the first time that international viewers will be able to have an official say in another country’s national selection.
It has also been revealed that the host of this year’s Unser Song, Barbara Schöneberger, will keep the German public informed on the results of the international vote so that they know which songs have the greatest appeal for an international audience.
This new method of voting, along with the fact that the stream of the final will be translated into English, clearly indicates that Germany are attempting to find a song that has the best potential of not only showcasing the best of German music, but also of doing well at the contest. This comes after a run of mediocre results for the country in Eurovision since 2013. Indeed, over the past four years they have placed in 21st, 18th, 27th and 26th, coming last in 2015 and 2016.
Unser Song 2017 will take place at 20:15 CET on Thursday 9th February. The winner of the show will represent Germany at the 62nd Eurovision Song Contest in Kyiv on 13th May.
Source: eurovision.tv
