I do think they could get rid of Andra Chansen ANYWAY. I don't think I've watched that live EVER- including in my loon days. Keep the repechage idea, sure, but I do agree it doesn't REALLY need a separate episode.
Having said that, I agree entirely with what you've said there. Last night was probably the first time I've watched a Melodifestivalen semi and thought "this is actually awful". And the songs weren't GREAT, but it wasn't about them, it was totally about the production. Giving the A*Teens 4 minutes seemed a bit LAX when that fucking interminable "comedy" nonsense went on. And don't get me started on those two journalists with the computer.
If they're desperate to keep six weeks of TV, just have 5 heats with 35 songs, no? It wasn't so long ago we happily had 8 songs in a heat without an issue- it's not that much more.
There are primarily two issues they're trying to solve with the new system:
Viewership dips noticeably for AC
There is a noticeable drop in audience engagement and media coverage during AC. They also receives significantly more negative press and social media feedback during the AC week because of people complaining about the rehash of old content. It's not only tiring for the producers to defend this year after year, but it also negatively affects the Grand Final viewer numbers due to the loss of momentum. This new format will keep the momentum growing every week.
Less costs for artists and labels
Only a handful of artists, like Tess, Linda (latest try), and Ugglas, fund their own acts. Eliminated songs are loss-makers for labels if the artist gets a public perception of having flopped, or if the artist is new and completely fails to make an impression. Labels are unwilling to spend any significant amount on an undiscovered artist they predict will end up in 6th or 7th. Having obvious no-hopers in turn makes the show less exciting.
You need eliminations to keep the nerve, but lessening the risk of a total flop makes labels want to invest more into lesser known acts. AC entries gets a significant streaming and airplay bump just based on still being in the competition, while the finalists aren't available until week 4 (now 5).
With 4 * 8 entries, 16 (50%) are still in it through week 5, and 25% of entries get an AC bump.
With 5 * 6 entries, 20 (67%) are still in it through week 5, and 33% of entries get an AC bump.
Labels have spent less on staging for the last 8 years, which SVT has compensated for to some extent so labels willing to spend more save costs for SVT in the long run.
Alternatively, interval acts also costs SVT significantly less compared to competing entries, even if they're repeat performances like in AC. I don't think this was a high priority consideration for the 2024 format decisions, as Melodifestivalen has enough of a budget to do the 7 or 8 acts per episode format. Instead, I believe they have data to show that voting drama and Björn Gustavsson's interval acts drive viewership more than Sylvester Schlegel or Mahan Moin ever would.
