Life in the Fast Lane - How F1 Can Sieze Their Fan Experience Moment

Life in the fast lane. Surely make you lose your mind. Life in the fast lane, yeah. Are you with me so far?

"Life in the Fast Lane" - The Eagles (1976)

Feature Story: Can Formula One Keep US Fans Engaged for the Long Haul?

Formula One is racing into a new era of fan engagement in the U.S., fueled by high-tech experiences on and off the track. At the heart of this transformation is a blend of tradition and modern technology, set against the backdrop of thrilling races like this past weekend's Miami Grand Prix.

I had the opportunity to spend some time at the track this past weekend in Miami. Few live events can compete with F1's ability to entertain massive crowds that arrive in town with high expectations. Most impressive is how satisfied attendees always seem to be despite quirks that would, and often do, sink other sporting experiences - excessive downtime, action that is hard to follow in person, limited view of the playing field, etc. And the next most impressive item? A car other than the Red Bull took home the checkered flag 🏁

As with any sport's business model, optimizing the in-person experience is a small portion required to level up the overall fan experience. However, what translates across efforts to improve all consumption mediums are observations on how the fanbase responds to information and stimuli delivered to them throughout the event. The Miami team did an especially good job of aligning the branding and utility of their mobile app, sponsor experiences, and merch/viewing options in a way that encouraged attendees to explore the grounds.

To properly engage fans in their living rooms, F1 must find ways to promote similar curiosity and brand loyalty, including at the driver level. Later in this article, I provide my opinion on this possibility.

The Convergence of Netflix and Max's Dominance

Liberty Media, F1's owners, hit what initially felt like a first-world problem with its US fans with the convergence of the success of Netflix's "Drive to Survive" and the on-track dominance of Max Verstappen's Red Bull team. As FOS pointed out in an article this week, however, the data suggests that this may be a problem that is here to stay. Perhaps more than any other sport, the execution by team members not pictured on "game day" profoundly impacts performance, so much so that dominant runs in F1 are generally bookended by significant rule changes that reset the teams' abilities to build a competitive vehicle from scratch. Unfortunately, this detail is unknown to fans who may not know of the past few decades of the sport's history.

The tone of conversations also shifted notably. In 2023 fans are using much more negative language like 'boring' and 'annoying' – a big departure from the highly positive terms like 'exciting' and 'interesting' we found to be common in 2022.

"Have we reached peak F1 Popularity?" - Buzz Radar

The result: Over the past two seasons, many US fans new to the sport are experiencing predictable race results that don't feel aligned with the drama depicted in the television show that brought them there. How dramatic can this be if the same guy wins every week? This disconnect is having a two-pronged impact that feels to many like a step in the wrong direction:

1. Fewer US fans are tuning into the races
2. Ratings for the once-formiddable "Drive to Survive" are down

So what can Liberty Media do to keep this moment alive? While everyone involved with the sport may not share this opinion, I am in the camp of extreme optimism. Below, I'll share a few reasons for my bullish outlook.

How to Accelerate Through the Turn

This past weekend also marked the 30th anniversary of the on-track death of legend Ayrton Senna. Formula One took this opportunity to honor Senna and educate its fan base, inviting a deeper dive into what made his career great and how it compares to some of the all-time drivers in today's F1. The uniqueness of this weekend leads to my first major experience suggestion.

“I think it’s great that we’re still celebrating [Senna], and… I don’t think it matters if it’s 30 years, 50 years, 150 years, I think the legacy will still be there. I think it’s very special for us all.”

Oscar Piasti, current McLaren driver

Strategy 1: Use content to embrace the sport's rich history as a bridge to its current format.

Events like Wimbledon, The Masters, and the Kentucky Derby have long shown the path to delivering this brand experience. Allow fans to love even the stuff that doesn't seem to make a lot of sense because, and not despite, the tradition it represents. F1 must allow its new fans to journey back in time as often as possible to bridge the divide between a reality show and race weekends. So, how should the platform know when to serve this content? That brings me to the next suggestion.

Strategy 2: Use personalization to own the end-to-end story.

With the announcement of its new FAST channel in the US, Formula One has taken the first step towards its ability to provide a deeper, more constant flow of information to its at-home fans. In a sport that requires some of the world's most impressive feats of engineering and psychological focus, the exclusive nature of what it takes to participate at the top level can (and should) be presented as a constant stream of personal journeys. Knowing your fans personally will allow these platforms to deliver the appropriate levels of depth and breadth, cementing fandom that surpasses the barrier of accepting their favorite driver's odds of finishing first. The topic of adding appeal to the cars that finish outside the top spot leads to my third suggested strategy.

Strategy 3: Use data to communicate the importance of securing every inch.

In a sport determined each weekend by seconds and played out over almost 200 miles of racing, the impact of every small decision can make the difference between the podium and your job. Only ten teams earn the right to participate at the F1 level - fans should be brought into the extreme pressure each team faces to perform at or above expectations on any given weekend. As often as possible, driver performances should be tracked against these expectations, answering every fan's key question: How are we doing?

What to Watch For

Continue to keep your 👀 on the 👀.

Using the above playbook, Formula One can turn its viewership numbers around. The competition for F1 in the US remains strong, and the sport is well-positioned to deliver consistent quality that fully supports its brand, with or without a high degree of variability on the podium. If they can push the trend in the right direction, the sport's major upcoming 2026 rule changes may be timed just right to welcome new teams atop the standings.

Leadership in Sports Tech: New Computer Vision Partnership in Baseball

I'm a big fan of tech partnerships that benefit companies' shared customer base. Magnus and PlaySight, two computer vision companies, have announced a partnership to integrate data and video flows across platforms.

Most agreements like this never materialize because both sides fear getting the wrong end of the deal. Kudos to both teams for making the customer-first decision to bring this integration to market.

News Roundup

• Sports carrying the torch: As the upfront market unfolds, NBCUniversal is witnessing a significant uptick in advertiser interest in sports properties. Peter Lazarus, NBC Sports’ EVP of Advertising Sales and Partnerships, noted that sports now represent about 40% of upfront volume, up from 25%. This surge is reflected in NBCUniversal's successful securing of advertising for high-profile broadcasts like Big Ten football and "Sunday Night Football," which have attracted numerous new clients. These events underscore the growing importance of sports as a stable and engaging platform for advertisers, especially during times when traditional TV viewership is declining.
• A call for creativity in the NCAA labor dispute: Recent discussions have intensified around a potential multibillion-dollar settlement in the class action lawsuit, House v. NCAA, involving compensation for over 14,500 college athletes for lost telecast, video game, and NIL opportunities, alongside a future revenue-sharing model. However, these proposed financial arrangements face significant antitrust concerns, as restrictions on athlete earnings could be viewed as price-fixing unless negotiated through a college players' union—an entity challenging to establish due to varying state laws and NCAA resistance. Jason Stahl of the CFBPA suggests a federal law enabling athletes to collectively bargain without formal employee status to navigate these legal hurdles, a pragmatic approach amid a complex political landscape and the current contentious climate.
• 15 seconds is worth $15M: The fan experience app 15 Seconds of Fame (15SOF) has successfully raised $15 million in a Series A funding round. The round was led by Shadowbox Studios, with additional investment from Bridger Holdings. 15SOF enhances the spectator experience by providing fans with digital keepsakes of their appearances on TV or video boards at sporting events, automatically sending these clips to the fans who appear in them.

Closing Thoughts

And that's the checkered flag on this week’s issue of Tech in Play! As Formula One accelerates its efforts to turbocharge fan engagement in the U.S., we're strapped in and ready for a high-octane journey. With a mix of historic reverence and cutting-edge technology, F1 is not just racing around the track—it’s racing towards the future of sports fandom. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or a newcomer lured by the drama of "Drive to Survive," there’s never been a more thrilling time to follow the sport.

What are your thoughts on F1’s strategies to keep the U.S. audience hooked? Drop your ideas in the comments. As the landscape of sports technology continues to evolve, stay tuned with Tech in Play, where you’re always in the pole position for the latest in sports tech news!