After the success of the 2012 event in terms of record website figures across the three finals nights which saw 162,000 unique visitors hitting up sbs.com.au/Eurovision and visitors engaged for an average of 38 minutes per session, this year SBS is going all out digitally in the show’s 30th anniversary year.

Focusing on emerging online platforms, in 2013 SBS will give Australian fans the chance to comment and vote for or against performers in real-time. Fans will play judge, jury and executioner on finals night in a way to up the ante by ways of being interactive.

SBS director of online and emerging platforms, Marshall Heald explaining, “This year will be SBS’s most ambitious broadcast yet – across all our platforms. We’re excited to be offering a truly social experience for our audience, allowing them to have their say and be a part of the broadcast.”

Heald admitting that this year is a “chance for Australians to celebrate Eurovision beyond the TV screen, with a multi-platform package to satisfy even the most hardcore fans”.

From live online and mobile voting, SBS is going beyond Twitter feeds onscreen and is instead offering Australian fans a say via enhanced online and mobile voting. Results will be tallied in real-time and displayed onscreen, immediately after each song.

There will also be onscreen comments, uploading of Eurovision party photos, a display of Facebook commentary, and word clouds, while punters will be supplied with QR code-embedded table tennis bat paddles to give a thumbs up or down to contestants.

All eyes will be focused on the neo SBS Eurovision website, redesigned in all its glory. Hosts Julia Zemiro and Sam Pang will once again head up the exclusive SBS coverage starting tonight and concluding on Sunday evening.