The BBC has today announced that for next years Eurovision Song Contest they will be collaborating with music company BMG, aswell as dropping the UK Selection show Eurovision: You Decide.

In a statement today the BBC announced:

Today we are pleased to confirm the United Kingdom’s participation in the 65th Eurovision Song Contest which will be held in Rotterdam, The Netherlands in May 2020.

BBC Studios will once again produce the BBC’s coverage of the biggest and most-watched song competition in the world.

Also announced is a brand new collaboration between BBC Studios and music company BMG in order to find a song and artist(s) to represent the United Kingdom in next year’s contest.

Alistair Norbury, President, Repertoire & Marketing UK for BMG said:

“Eurovision is the biggest television showcase for music in the world and it’s an honour to be selected to help choose the UK’s entry at Rotterdam 2020. Eurovision plays to our strength as the only fully-integrated publishing company and record label. We can’t wait to get started working with the BBC to give it the best possible shot we can.”

Aswell as announcing the deal, the BBC have announced plans to axe the National Final Eurovision: You Decide. In an article on the BBC News website the BBC have said:

The BBC is to drop the public vote to select the UK’s next Eurovision Song Contest entrant, instead teaming up with a record label for the first time.

It means there will be no Eurovision: You Decide, which has run since 2016.

Entrants were selected internally by the BBC for five years before that, but the broadcaster is seeking a new formula to boost the UK’s results after Michael Rice finished bottom last year.

The UK broadcaster says that it approached a number of record labels but it was BMG’s proposal that impressed the BBC the most. The BBC says that BMG shared the vision of :

“Selecting a song with broad international appeal and securing an artist who embodies the spirit and values of the Eurovision Song Contest.”

BMG has a proven track record in worldwide hits, publishing songs such as ‘Someone You Love’ (Lewis Capaldi), ‘Don’t Call Me Up’ (Mabel), ‘I’ll Be There’ (Jess Glynne) and ‘Shotgun’ (George Ezra)

No strangers to Eurovision, BMG published the 2015 winning entry for Sweden, ‘Heroes’, performed by Måns Zelmerlöw aswell as signing Eurovision winner Netta following her win in 2018.

What do you think of the BBC’s plans? Let us know in the comments section below!