Is Drive to Survive getting old?
The plastic example of how Formula 1 has welcomed in recent years new fansthe British singer gave it Ed Sheeranpresent in Miami: “I’ve watched all of Drive to Survive and I think it’s the best F1 crash course you can get: just see it. Most of the people I know who love F1 have done so.”
On the other hand, it is certainly no mystery that since its release in 2019 the Netflix show has played a key role in creating a rather different fan base compared to the past, with a decidedly low average age.
The average current Formula 1 fan is in fact 32 years old and this fact is risking creating a generation of spectators who live in a constant present, as suggested in an interview with Sports Illustrated from a legend of the category, Alain Prost: “I thought a lot about this aspect and the new generation that is very interested in our sport. They may be fans, but will they also be lovers of F1 tradition? Or will they be increasingly interested in the human side, to the detriment of technology? The risk is to take into consideration only a small part of a larger whole.”
An interesting research released by Buzzradaranalyzed the effect in depth Drive to Survive, tracing the average identikit of the 6.8 million spectators who saw the series in 2023: 31% are between 18 and 29 years old, and 46% of the total audience is female.
As is known, DTS’s greatest impact on new fans was had in the United States (37%), followed by Great Britain (12%) and Australia (9%). Italy is outside the top 20 of this ranking (less than 2%), a sign that the series has not substantially attracted new audiences in our country.
But something is changing, given that Drive to Survive doesn’t seem to create much debate on social media: only 2.5% of online conversations about F1 refer to the Netflix series. One fact gives a good idea: 26% of those who watch Drive to Survive say they have “limited interest“ for the Circus and perceives it as an entertainment show with a life of its own, not necessarily linked to sport.
Social media and algorithms are depopulating
Buzzradar in fact he discovered that Drive to Survive is not the half prince through which new fans discover F1. In first place (22%) are social mediafollowed by family habits (21%) and only at the foot of the podium is the TV series (14%), which precedes video games by a few percentage points (9%).
Specifically in the entry relating to social media, this mainly refers to: videos recommended by the algorithm on the YouTube platformwho are pushing the category at a promotional level with clips on the radio teams, highlights of the races, historical documentaries, but also technical analyzes of the cars.
A legacy of Drive to Survive was the proliferation of content creator, that is, online content producers who opened channels – initially on YouTube – to talk about F1, an activity that was usually the prerogative of a small number of journalists. This resulted in a type of communication different from the past and more youthful, so much so that the number of followers of these channels has reached and exceeds those of traditional communicators. And it must also be included in this phenomenon TikTokan application not surprisingly used by a third of Americans under 30 as the main source of information (source Pew Research Center). The audience that is driving the use of content on YouTube and TikTok, needless to say, is the American one.
Influencers and content creators to stave off boredom?
Liberty Media sensed the change and for some time it has relaxed the bans on drivers and teams from spreading photos and videos from the paddock through social media, helping them to become even more personalities and producers of content on social media. American ownership thus began to invite influencers and content creators to the grand prix to increase the visibility of your channels. A non-random move, given that in 2023 new F1 followers on an annual basis fell by 46% compared to the previous year – in a year where the boredom caused by the dominance of the Red Bull-Max Verstappen pairing made itself felt .
But there is a clear difference between influencers and content creators: the former are more oriented towards seeking personal partnerships with teams and brands, while the latter aim for a more ‘educational’ intent towards their followers – however dependent on the brevity of the content products, for example on TikTok there is a 3 minute limit.
Female audience on the rise
Another notable fact that makes it clear how the geography of Formula 1 fans is changing is that relating to sex: if in 2017 just 8% of women followed this sport, now the percentage has risen to 40%. Several content producers on TikTok are women and are helping to bring more women into F1. And you just need to open social media to realize how many young girls are becoming passionate about the Circus in recent years.
The female public is attracted not only by the cars on the track, but also by the political, strategic and psychological aspects of the category. In a sport that is still not so inclusive with women – if we think that there are no women either behind the wheel, or at the head of a team or in the most important roles of F1, Race Direction or the International Federation – this increase in ‘fangirl’ could open up new working spaces for them within motorsport.
