The participation of the Netherlands Antilles in the OTI Festival began at the third OTI Festival in 1974. The Netherlands Antillean participating broadcaster was (ATM), which was member of the (OTI). ATM participated in nineteen of the twenty-eight editions. Its best placing was a topâÂÂ5 in 1983.
(ATM), whose television stations were TeleAruba and TeleCuraçao, first entered in the OTI Festival in its 3rd edition in 1974, and participated in nineteen of the twenty-eight editions. ATM selected its entry both internally and through a national final.
Although the common official language of the Netherlands Antilles was Dutch, and Papiamento, a Portuguese-based creole language influenced by Dutch and Spanish, was the most widely spoken and also official in Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao, all entries in the festival were presented in Spanish.
Efrem Benita, who represented the Netherlands Antilles in 1981 with "", won the Eurovision Song Contest 2001 for as Dave Benton, with "Everybody" along Tanel Padar and 2XL, making him the only Eurovision Song Contest winner who has previously participated in the OTI Festival.
In 1986, when Aruba gained its separate status from the Netherlands Antilles, TeleAruba became independent from ATM, and participated in the festival representing Aruba in 1989 and in 1991, with the Netherlands Antilles absent those editions.