Viewers in Kazakhstan will once again be able to watch the contest live, as Khabar confirms it is broadcasting the Eurovision Song Contest 2018.
Khabar will for an eighth year, broadcast the Eurovision Song Contest live to viewers across Kazakhstan. The Kazakh national broadcaster confirmed their broadcasting on the contest with the launch of a mini-site dedicated to the Eurovision Song Contest. Khabar has been an associate member of the European Broadcasting Agency since January 2016.
To date Kazakhstan, China and the United States are the only non-competing countries to confirm that they will be broadcasting the contest.
Since 2000 a total of 13 countries have broadcast the contest despite not competing in the contest. At the 2016 contest the United States joined Kosovo, Kazakhstan and New Zealand in broadcasting the contest live to their audience. The contest however failed to live up to expectations in the time slot that it was broadcast with just 52,000 viewers watching the contest live.
Broadcasters who have shown the contest in previous years include:
- Canada – OUTtv (2014 to 2015)
- China – Hunan Television (2015 to date)
- Faroe Islands – KVP (Live broadcast in 2011 & 2014)
- Greenland – KNR (Delayed broadcast in 2011)
- Kazakhstan – Khabar Agency (2010 to date)
- Kosovo – RTK
- Kyrgyzstan – KRTK (2012)
- New Zealand – UKTV (2014 to 2016)
- United States – LogoTV (2016, 2017)
Providing commentary for Kazakh audiences are Kaldybek Zhaysanbay and Diana Snegina.
Source: Khabar
