Netflix is pushing for more room in the traditional sports broadcasting field according to The Times, which reports that the streaming platform is pursuing the US rights to Formula 1.
This would represent a huge leap for the company, which has so far flirted with sports media but has not fully committed to being a season-long broadcaster of a major tournament, whether domestic or international.
F1 could be a logical step for the company though due to the success of the Drive to Survive documentary series. Launched in 2019, the series is a behind-the-scenes documentary following a different F1 team each season, and has become something of a blueprint for other docuseries in the years since.
The series’ popularity among US viewers could provide a solid springboard for Netflix to become the American media partner of the organisation. The platform likely already counts a solid chunk of the American F1 audience already due to Drive to Survive, and it would not be too difficult a task to acquire the remaining segments who aren’t subscribers.
Netflix would have to unseat ESPN to secure the rights, however, and this may prove a more difficult task for the company. ESPN is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, sports broadcaster in the US, holding media rights to some of the country’s most popular tournaments and as a result a huge chunk of audience share.
If Netflix was able to persuade the F1 to switch partners it would represent a huge step forward in its sports broadcasting ambitions. As stated above, the company has built up some experience of sports broadcasting but not nearly as much as the likes of NBC or ESPN.
The Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson boxing bout is Netflix’s most notable sports broadcasting endeavour lately, and this was not entirely well received by audiences due to buffering and delays throughout.
On the other hand, its streaming of WWE events, part of a 10-year contract with the company in its biggest sports streaming deal to date, have performed much better.
Meanwhile, partnering with Netflix and springboarding off the back of Drive to Survive’s popularity could work in F1’s favour as well, as the motorsports series has been building up its presence in the US for some time.
US motorsports has been traditionally dominated by the country’s homegrown tournaments, namely NASCAR and Indycar. F1 is carving out a big piece of the market though, with three grand prix races now held in the US – taking place in Miami, Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Austin, Texas.
