Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS announced on Monday that it will boycott the Eurovision Song Contest for a second consecutive year, labelling the event a "platform for division". The decision means AVROTROS will not participate in the 2027 contest.
AVROTROS stated that the event can no longer be considered neutral, citing a participating country's ongoing involvement in a large-scale military conflict. The broadcaster's director-general, Taco Zimmerman, commented that international conflicts are increasingly affecting the contest, undermining its neutral character.
This move follows a refusal by television organisations in the Netherlands, Iceland, Ireland, Slovenia, and Spain to take part in the 2026 contest due to Israel's participation. AVROTROS has called on the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to establish transparent rules for countries involved in military conflicts, but stated that recently announced EBU changes do not provide sufficient confidence in the contest's independent and neutral character.