This year's Eurovision Song Contest, held in Vienna with its grand final on 16 May, drew 131 million viewers — a drop of 35 million compared to last year's 166 million. Contest director Martin Green attributed the decline partly to the absence of several countries, including the Netherlands, Iceland, Spain, Ireland, and Slovenia, all of which withdrew over Israel's participation, with the latter three also declining to broadcast the event. Despite the overall fall, viewership rose in host nation Austria and remained strong across the Nordic countries, while voting participation expanded to 148 countries — two more than last year — with significant votes cast from non-participating nations such as the United States, Canada, and Spain.