By Gavin Boyle
Since the F1 movie released in June, the racing organization has seen a large influx in popularity, with engagement from the fanbase reaching new highs.
“I would say the effect of the movie is not only, of course, about the dollars and economical input, but the sport will have an incredible opportunity to grow its awareness and to generate the circular economy around that,” said Formula One President Stefano Domenicali.
The movie opened to over $57 million domestically and has since topped $555 million worldwide. Audiences resonated with the movie’s strong moral messaging along with stunning racing scenes that felt like the real deal. A portion of Movieguide®’s review reads:
F1 THE MOVIE has some of the most riveting racing scenes ever filmed. It tells a compelling redemptive story with engaging characters. Teamwork and sacrifice win the day. The movie also promotes friendship, a strong mother-son relationship and the importance of fathers. It also has positive Christian references. However, there’s lots of light to medium foul language, five strong obscenities and profanities, and an implied bedroom scene. So, MOVIEGUIDE® advises strong caution for F1 THE MOVIE.
F1 is the latest push in motorsports to draw a larger audience by providing access to the sport beyond the live races. Another project in this strategy is the extremely popular Netflix documentary DRIVE TO SURVIVE. The series introduces new viewers to the sport’s most prominent figures, while serving the legacy fans by pulling back the curtain and providing unprecedented access to the sport. Analysts estimate that DRIVE TO SURVIVE has generated over $290 million in global streaming revenue since the first season launched in 2019.
These pushes into other forms of media have resulted in massive popularity spikes for Formula One which has been able to crack a U.S. market which has usually shunned to sport in favor for the American-based NASCAR. Viewership of F1 races this year are up 7% in the U.S. Meanwhile, global interest has increased as well, as 12 of the past 40 F1 races have sold out, with six races setting new attendance records.
“This success is a testament to the vision of Joe, Jerry, Brad, and Lewis, along with the efforts of the entire cast and crew. Together with Formula One, they’ve created an inspiring cinematic journey that captures the energy and spirit of the sport,” said Jamie Erlicht, Apple’s co-head of worldwide video.
As Formula One continues to enjoy its massive increase in popularity, it will be interesting to see if other sports will attempt to increase their popularity through similar means.
Read Next: Netflix Celebrates NFL Christmas Broadcast Success — And Plans More Sports Streams
Questions or comments? Please write to us here.
- Content: +3Share:
- Content: +4