fbpx
Blog post

Formula 1, Netflix Deal: Content Marketing2 min read

Since the pandemic began, more people have become quite enamoured by the Netflix series Formula 1: Drive to Survive. The show is a behind-the-scenes docu-series into the world’s most intense and highly glamorous motorsport, Formula 1. This deal between Netflix and Formula 1 proved to be one of the motorsport’s most effective take on content marketing, winning more sponsorships and a younger generation of fans.

For a while now, F1 has experienced a bit of a sponsorship slump. When F1 changed hands in 2017, one major job for the new owners at Liberty Media was to start growing the sport. The sport’s audience had shrunk precipitously over the past couple of decades, mostly because of pay-per-view TV deals in its key markets like the UK and Germany that took the races off free-to-air channels.

Among the moves that Liberty made was inviting a Netflix documentary crew into the paddock throughout 2018. This gave the media company’s cameras unprecedented access on race weekends. Shifting our focus to the present day, Formula One’s Drive to Survive series has topped global Netflix viewing. As a result, the series could be on track for a billion fans worldwide in 2022. A genius content marketing plan, here’s three things that Netflix’s Formula 1 Series did right to boost sponsorship and win a new legion of fans to support them for years to come.

Formula 1 Content Marketing: 3 Things Netflix's F1 Series Did Right

#1 Placing Data First

First of all, when Liberty Media relaunched the brand less than a full year after acquisition, they didn’t cut corners. Remarkably, the first three months were spent exclusively on deep research into their fanbase. Market research is the hearat of Formula 1 content marketing. They came out of it with a thorough understanding of what the fans wanted: to get closer to the sport. F1 Marketing & Communications Director Ellie Norman describes this growth hacker mentality as, “Start from scratch. Bring in new fans. Do it quickly.”

#2 Remembering to Be human

Secondly, remembering to be human was a key driver to Formula 1’s content marketing strategy. F1 had the reputation of being an old boys club and very technical. Post-rebrand, F1 put the emphasis on human emotion. Building connections with the drivers became the new priority. We see this in a high volume of multi-platform content designed to build connections with drivers. 

#3 Getting social

Lastly, F1 knows that its fans are thirsty for stories and insider access. That’s why focusing Formula 1’s content marketing on various social media platforms was the perfect sidekick to docu-series. Moreover, the volume of social content across all top platforms each day, including high quality videos, articles, podcasts, and graphics — is staggering. And it pays off. For the third year in a row now, F1 is the fastest growing major sport on social media.

Thanks for reading! Dive deeper into digital marketing by reading more articles here. 

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *