iCard ends Bulgarian sponsorship deal

This morning brought the inevitable news that Eurovision fans were dreading – Eurovision 2020 has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 virus and will return in 2021.

In the hours since, we have learned from a few broadcasters and artists how they intend to proceed for Eurovision 2021, and today also brought us the news that iCard, the electronic money institution supervised by the Bulgarian National Bank, will end its sponsorship of Bulgaria’s 2020 entry, Victoria’s “Tears Getting Sober,” effective March 28, 2020.

We are extremely dissapointed to announce that the sponsorship contract between us and iCard will be terminated after @victoriageorge_ 's online concert on 28th of March. We are extremely grateful for their huge support and we hope to be able to work together in the future.

— iCard Eurovision Bulgaria 🇧🇬 (@bg_eurovision) March 18, 2020

Earlier, Bulgaria’s representative Victoria Georgieva expressed her desire that “we, the 2020 #Eurovision artists, should be allowed to perform our songs in 2021.” She stated that she understood the reasoning behind the 2020 cancellation, but that the project “means the world to me as an artist and to the great team behind it.”

Bulgarian National Television (BNT), Bulgaria’s broadcaster, have yet to comment on the situation in particular or on their plans for 2021.

However, fans will be concerned by the withdrawal of iCard’s sponsorship, as it was them that gave Bulgaria the ability and funds to participate at Eurovision 2020 in the first place.

Despite success towards the end of the 2010s – Poli Genova’s “If Love was a Crime” coming in 4th in 2016 and Kristian Kostov achieving Bulgaria’s best ever finish in 2nd with “Beautiful Mess” in 2017 – BNT was forced to withdraw from the 2019 contest due to financial difficulties.

A statement from BNT in October 2018 said that “We are sad to announce that Bulgaria withdraws from #Eurovision. The decision is based on financial reasons because the costs of the project far exceed the financial capacity of BNT according to the Management of the broadcaster.”

In iCard, BNT found a private sponsor willing to shoulder the costs of Bulgaria’s participation at Eurovision 2020, and fans will hope that BNT can either find funding for the 2021 contest or find another private sponsor.

Prior to the cancellation notice, “Tears Getting Sober” was highly regarded by a large segment of fans to the degree that Bulgaria featured in the Top 5 of most gambling odds.

Do #YOU want to see Victoria return for Bulgaria in 2021? Let us know in the comments below, in our forum, or on social media.