Czechia to withdraw from Eurovision 2027 due to budget cuts

Eurovision Song Contest 2027 Czech Television budget cuts public broadcasting Andrej Babis

Czech Television (Česká televize) has announced that the Czech Republic will not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2027. The broadcaster cited significant budget constraints and the high costs of production and organization as the primary reasons for the withdrawal.

The decision follows a proposed government reform led by Prime Minister Andrej Babis, which aims to transition public media funding from a viewer license fee system to direct state funding. This shift is expected to result in substantial budget cuts for public broadcasters, with ČT projecting a reduction of approximately 350 million koruna for 2027.

Critics, including Reporters Without Borders, have expressed concerns that this funding shift could jeopardize the independence of public media. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) expressed regret over the decision but acknowledged the financial pressures facing many public broadcasters. While the withdrawal is confirmed for 2027, Czech Television stated it assesses each edition separately and has not ruled out a future return to the competition.

Entities

Andrej Babiš · Czech Republic · Czech Television · Daniel Žižka · European Broadcasting Union · Martin Green · Mikolas Josef · Česká televize

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[○ 1 SOURCE] Budget cuts will impact investments, wages, and program production. www.evropa2.cz
[○ 1 SOURCE] The country's best Eurovision result was 6th place by Mikolas Josef in 2018. infegreece.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] Czech representative Daniel Žižka placed 16th in the most recent contest. www.evropa2.cz
[○ 1 SOURCE] The EBU expressed understanding of the financial pressures on public broadcasters. www.evropa2.cz
[● 2 SOURCES] The proposed budget for 2027 is 350 million CZK lower than previously planned. www.evropa2.cz · infegreece.com
[● 3 SOURCES] The decision is due to ongoing budget adjustments. www.evropa2.cz · infegreece.com · www.oslobodjenje.ba