The rise of Formula 1: How F1 took over the US

A sport that lost 200 million fans and banned social media posts — now the hottest thing among young Americans.

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By The Numbers

500M

viewers per season at peak

200M

fans lost in seven years

3.1M

viewers for Miami 2024 race

What They Nailed Early

Built one of the world's most popular sports by the early 2000s. Reached 500 million viewers per season globally. The racing product itself was spectacular — speed, danger, precision, and drama.

What Changed

Bernie Ecclestone ran F1 like an elitist club, dismissing young fans and banning teams from social media. Viewership crashed. Then Liberty Media bought F1 for $4.4 billion in 2017, replaced leadership, and flipped the strategy. They gave ESPN free broadcast rights, flooded social platforms with content, and launched Drive to Survive on Netflix to humanize drivers and tell stories.

Where it Landed

Complete turnaround. U.S. viewership more than doubled since 2018. Miami 2024 became most-watched F1 race ever with 3.1M viewers. 46% of Americans 18-29 now follow the sport.

The Principles

Story sells better than product. F1's racing was always great — Liberty just packaged it with narrative, behind-the-scenes access, and emotional stakes.

Meet customers where they are. Ecclestone hid behind paywalls and banned social media. Liberty flooded YouTube, Instagram, and Netflix — and fans flooded back.

Elitism is a growth ceiling. Chasing only wealthy 70-year-olds killed F1. Opening to young fans unlocked advertisers desperate to reach that demographic.

Builder's Takeaway

If you're reviving a stalled brand, steal this:

•

Give away the product initially to rebuild audience (ESPN got free broadcast rights)

•

Use documentary storytelling to create emotional investment (Drive to Survive converted 42% of viewers)

•

Turn events into experiences — celebrities, perfect timing, parties that feel like the Super Bowl

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