ESC 2025: Hope for Germany: Raab back on board at the ESC

Entertainer Stefan Raab will once again help organize the next German preliminary round for the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC). According to the announcement, the ARD, the NDR and the private broadcaster RTL want to announce details on Thursday.

Raab is considered a very successful ESC manager. Lena Meyer-Landrut’s (“Satellite”) victory in Oslo in 2010 is particularly associated with his name. In doing so, she brought the competition to Germany.

Protégés successful at the ESC

The ESC 2011 in Düsseldorf was initially the last in which the presenter and producer played a leading role. Lena competed again and took tenth place. “The 2011 Eurovision Song Contest final in Germany was the absolute highlight of my ESC career,” Raab told the industry service “kress report” afterwards. In 2012 he was once again on the jury for the German preliminary round.

Other Raab protégés also did well at the ESC, such as Max Mutzke. Raab himself achieved success as a singer on stage in 2000 with “Wadde hadde dudde da?” fifth place.

The return of the 58-year-old entertainer, musician and presenter in the fall after a break of almost ten years was considered the German TV event of the year. Raab boxed against former boxer Regina Halmich on September 14th. RTL showed the show live, after which Raab announced his long-term return to the screens. He is now hosting a weekly show on RTL+ again. An RTL Saturday evening show with his colleague Michael “Bully” Herbig has also been announced.

Germany’s ESC record has been very mixed in recent years. Most recently, singer Isaak achieved twelfth place for Germany in Malmö. Previously there had been many last or second to last places. The only exception in 2018 was Michael Schulte with fourth place.

For the upcoming ESC, NDR, as ARD’s ESC leader, will now work with RTL. The last time we cooperated with a private broadcaster was in 2012. The Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Basel, Switzerland in 2025.