And does Liberty Media really Care?
By now, unless you’re living underneath a rock.
Or hiding in a Hidey Hole to escape premeditated persecution! Then Y’all know
that Apple TV has become the exclusive Broadcast rights Holder of Formula 1 in
the United States, beginning this year.
Apple TV’s acquisition of the U.S. F1 TV rights
runs in conjunction with the latest F1 Concorde agreement, i.e.; 2026-2030.
With Apple reportedly paying an eye-watering $140-180m, as in millions! For its
five seasons contract. Reputedly doubling what ESPN paid for its final three
year contract, i.e.; $75-90m between 2023-25.
As I have to say the transformation of Formula
One’s popularity Stateside has been unbelievable to Mwah! And really, all it
took was the Real Housewives of F1 Drive to Survive NefFlix Docu programme?
Although surely, and I know that I’ve not only
appreciated it, but have come to “expect” it. Airing the races commercial Free
was a master stroke!
Having lamented Y’all about my Stumblin’,
Bumblin’ and most definitely Fumblin’ travails of playing find where the F1
Broadcast is Whack-Ah-Mole’ for more than three decades prior to ESPN
re-acquiring the Formula 1 TV rights…
Making this transformation even more remarkable
is how F1 once was virtually unknown Stateside. Unless Yuhs were an Formula 1
Diehard like Mwah…
As Chris Rea’s recent death sent me down
another Wabbit’ Hole after learning He’d performed twice in New York on Late
Night TV.
Stumbling into this song, when searching for
appearances on Late Night with David Letterman. Presumably sometime mid-summer
in 1991. As Letterman & Rea briefly discuss His attending the Canadian Grand Prix at the end
of the video.
VIDEO:
Looking for the Summer – Live on Letterman
As the Canadian GP has typically been held
early-mid June. Although there’s been an understandable uproar about moving it
to Memorial Day weekend this year! Clashing wit the Indianapolis 500,
Seriously?
As Liberty media claims this is in effort to
reduce its Carbon Footprint of flying back ‘n forth around the globe. Twinning
it with the Miami Grand Prix.
Only problema with this, is that the Miami
Grand Prix is May 3rd, with a three weeks gap until clashing with the
Indianapolis 500, Butterfingers! And do you really “reduce” your carbon
footprint by flying everybody back ‘n forth? Since I highly doubt the team’s
personnel will be staying Stateside for three idle weeks…
Rea notes how surprised He was over how easy it
was to get into the Canadian Grand Prix that year. To which Letterman quips if
you think that was bad, try going to the USGP in Phoenix! Stating how you could
simply walk right up, go in and back out in a breeze…
As 1991 was the final year of the Iceberg Grand
Prix held on Phoenix, Arizona’s Downtown Streets; Year 3 of its slated 5 year
contract.
For which your Humble No Fenders scribe Tomaso
attended, and attendance was pitiful! As I don’t know if even 20,000 attended?
Probably more like 10-15,000 Diehards?
RETRO:
Phoenix’s last Grand Prix - Two-decades ago almost slipped past
But back to the present. As Yahoo Sports claims
that ESPN barely averaged over 550,000 viewers when reacquiring Formula 1’s TV
rights in 2018. And with the advent of Drive to Survive, Commercial Free
Broadcasts and Social Media access and content. ESPN recorded a record 1.3
million viewers average last year. With 1.5m tuning into the season finale Abu
Dhabi GP on Yas Isle. With the F1 Drivers title being decided…
As ESPN averaged over 1m viewers the final four
seasons of it long running contract, with Formula 1 now firmly being the second
most watched Motorsports Stateside behind NASCAR.
In contrast, this year’s NASCAR finale at
Phoenix averaged 2.78 million viewers. But with the addition of six races on
Amazon Prime, viewership dropped by 14% this season. While NASCAR’s viewership
is down overall. Having reported a 4.15 million average for the 2018 Homestead
Miami finale, itself being a 32% drop from the 2015 season finale.
Reportedly part of Formula 1’s surge in
popularity is driven by young women. With females making up 46% of the vaunted
18-29 years old target demographic.
Yet how much will F1’s viewership drop this
season, and overall? And does Liberty Media really care, having gotten its
money out of Apple up front.
As surely, the F1 Bubble’s gotta pop sometime, Righto? And what better way to do so, then by forcing your audience to have to pay for Streaming…
