What was the first country to broadcast the reality singing format The Voice?

The Netherlands was the first country to broadcast the reality singing format The Voice.

The original programme, The Voice of Holland, premiered in the Netherlands in 2010. It was created by television producer John de Mol and developed by Talpa. The format introduced blind auditions in which coaches listened to singers without initially seeing them, emphasizing vocal performance rather than appearance.

The show then used battle rounds and later live performances to reduce the field. Coaches formed teams and mentored contestants, while audience voting played an important role in later stages. This structure became the defining feature of the international Voice franchise.

The US adaptation premiered on NBC in 2011, and versions were subsequently produced in dozens of territories. Although The Voice is sometimes associated most strongly with American coaches and performers, its format originated in the Netherlands.

The programme is also distinct from Pop Idol and The X Factor. Those formats generally use judges to assess singers throughout the competition, while The Voice makes coach selection during the blind-audition stage a central dramatic device.