With 50 hours of live TV, "The Dance Marathon" is the longest, toughest, and biggest TV show ever produced in the Netherlands. Starting on Thursday evening on SBS6, the mega dance event culminated into a must-see finale on Saturday evening with a 27,4% market share in the key demo. Over three days, a total of 5,8 million unique viewers tuned in at some point to witness the couples dance. After 50 hours of dancing, and with only 35 minutes of break, a young couple from Rotterdam won the cash prize of 100.000 euros.
"The Dance Marathon" kicked off on Thursday evening with 100 couples, from all ages and all walks of life, dancing on a massive dance floor to the hits of famous DJ’s and artists. After 50-hours, the big question was: who of the remaining, completely exhausted couples took the least amount of resting time? Who was going to take home that huge cash prize? Dancing for 50 hours straight with only a few short breaks (a maximum of 300 minutes) was quite the challenge. The dance couples burned a total of 2,75 million calories and took 31,4 million steps. The medical team punctured 458 blisters and treated 2115 injuries, for which 566 meters of tape were used. The youngest couple participating was 18 years old, the oldest couple - ending up in an impressive second place - 60 and 63.
Slacking was not an option: strict dance referees kept a close watch on the couples to make sure they kept moving. A huge medical team was present to monitor the couples and make sure no health risks were taken. The couples were followed every step of the way: not only on the dance floor, but also backstage during short breaks or after having to give up after many hours of dancing. The disappointment, exhaustion, but also new friendships that were formed and the many moments of joy – made for some unique reality.
"The Dance Marathon" was part of a big national campaign of the Dutch VriendenLoterij (FriendsLottery) to benefit a well-known charity: Lung Foundation Netherlands. Money was raised for the development of a mini lung, intended for people with irreparably damaged lungs. The show was produced by Talpa Entertainment Productions and is distributed by Talpa Distribution.