The coming Formula One season will host a record 24 races in a single calendar year. Yet despite the current growing audience in recent years there are signs the interest in the sport may have peaked. FIA president warns Netflix ‘not the future’.

The interest has boomed in recent years in the USA with TV audiences doubling in just five years. The 2023 season saw three of the four largest live audiences in F1 history on US TV, including Miami, Monaco and the Canadian GPs. All but two races averaged more than one million viewers but is the somewhat fickle audience across the pond starting to wane.

 

 

 

TV audience all time high in 2022

TV viewing in th3e states in fact hit its all time high during the 2022 season which of course was the first year after the almost unbelievable last lap showdown in Abu Dhabi.

In 2023 US TV audiences in fact fell. “The honeymoon period might be over in the U.S. for F1, but now you’re entering that slow-and-steady growth period of a long-term marriage,” said Daniel Cohen, executive vice president of global media rights consulting for Octagon, which has brand clients in the F1 space. “I don’t think whatsoever that there’s a slowdown to the point of a reversal for F1 … there’s still growth; it’s just more modest.

However Cohen’s comments were made with 10 races remaining in the season. AS TJ13 reported in November TV audiences fell from an average of  1.21 million in 2022 to just 1.11 million this year.

Miami was a broadcasting disaster losing 25% of the audience it garnered in year one of the race. 

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Perspective required

Yet the US TV viewing figures need to be placed in perspective. Sunday night football in America averages over 18 million viewers and even in F1 land the USA 1 million eyeballs is part of a 70 million Grand Prix global average.

Formula One has hardly cracked America despite new having threee events a season in Austin, Vegas and Miami.

Of course much of the interest in the USA was created from the Netflix, “Drive to Survive” series and now FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem warns Liberty media that Netflix cannot be the only growth source.

“I think we cannot rely on our current success. We must always think about the future,” said Ben Sulayem, as per Motorsport.com.

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Netflix ‘not the future’

“Formula 1 has existed for 74 years and during this time it has gone through many phases and crises, but it has always survived and today seems stronger than ever. And for it to continue like this, Formula 1 has to adapt.

“We can’t just rely on Netflix to attract people. The new generation wants to learn about motorsport. You can’t do things like before.”

Liberty Media bought the commercial rights to F1 back in 2016 taking over from the equally loved and hated Bernie Ecclestone and CVC Partners. The way the new. Owners handled the pandemic era is praised by Ben Sulayem along with the remarkable growth the sport has experienced.

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Andretti still not vetted by Liberty

“What they did during the pandemic was fantastic,” said Ben Sulayem. “I will always be indebted to them.

“We know that we are indebted to them , that is very, very clear, but Formula 1 will have to adapt to new challenges.

“The challenges of ten years ago are completely different today. We have to improve our business model and I am sure that this will survive for a long, long time, as long as the FIA is also strong.”

The FIA have approved the application from Andretti Motorsport to become the eleventh team on the grid, yet the teams and Liberty are riven with divisions over how their entry should be handled.

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Fan polls support ANDRETTI

Fan polls are overwhelmingly supportive of the introduction of a new team which should drive even higher TV audiences yet it appears Liberty Media are dragging their heels in offering a commercial package to the new team – maybe hoping they can drag things out until after the June deadline when a new team ,just be registered for 2025.

Max Verstappen romping to victory with six races remaining can’t have helped the popularity with some this year yet the signs are good the field is closing up following there new 2022 car deign regulations.

In qualifying one in Abu Dhabi, first to last was covered by less than a second which was another first for the 74 year old sport. Further the battle between Ferrari and Mercedes who once le3d their Italian rivals was closed to just four points before the start of the final race weekend.

The season should begin with plenty of interest given McLaren were the best scoring team after Red Bull over the final two thirds of the season. Fans of the Woking based team can’t wait to see if they continue this momentum and move past Mercedes and Ferrari.

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AlphaTauri move to England

Further, the transformation of AlphaTauri should be completed as they move facilities from Italy to England and their end of 2023 season form almost saw them pass Williams who had been the best of the rest (behind the midfield) all season.

In terms of driver changes there were none for the start of 2024 but Sergio Perez along with Logan Sargent will be under the most pressure to improve their form and contribute to their respective teams push for glory.

Michael Schumacher update from his brother

 

 

 

Surprise resignation of Michael Massi replacement

An unexpected resignation of FIA sporting director happened just ahead of Christmas in a surprising turn of events. Steve Nielsen, the sporting director of the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile), has resigned from his post less than a year after being appointed.

This resignation marks a significant moment in Formula One’s governing body, given Nielsen’s prominent role and the expectations placed upon him. It doesn’t look good for the sports governing body either who had removed Micheal Massi for the 2022 season onwards, replacing him with several other directors including Nielsen….read more