Overview
- Česká televize announced it will not take part in the next Eurovision Song Contest, calling the move temporary and thanking artists and fans for their support.
- The broadcaster linked the decision to a proposed reform by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš to abolish licence fees and move public-media financing into the state budget, a change that would cut its resources.
- Česká televize has already announced staff reductions and programming changes and says it will not broadcast the contest in 2027, though fans can follow the official online stream.
- The withdrawal adds to a shorter and politically fraught Eurovision field that includes planned boycotts by Ireland and Spain over Israel’s participation and the contest scheduled for May 2027 in Burgas, Bulgaria.
- Parliament must still approve the financing reform, so the broadcaster’s future funding, editorial independence and the European Broadcasting Union’s budget pressures remain key developments to watch.