Popularity of The Contest
Until 2001, Greece was seen as one of the least successful countries in the Contest, and therefore the interest of Greek people in the Contest was relatively low. Since Antique's third place in 2001, the contest has grown into one of the most popular events in Greece with an estimated five million viewers each year. The extremely high expectations of the Greek public has led to seeing the Contest as a "national affair" of very big importance, and this has caused controversy. The Greek viewers expect their singers to qualify from the semi-final to the final and place inside the Top 10, and so far Greece has not missed any finals and always placed in the Top 10 since the introduction of semifinals in 2004. They are also the second most successful country, behind Russia, in the contest between 2000 and 2009, with one win and three third places. In 2012 Greece for the first time since the introduction of the semifinals failed to place in the Top 10 in Baku.
Read more about this topic: Greece In The Eurovision Song Contest
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