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Key takeaways:
- F1’s audience growth shows that modern sports brands expand reach by building year-round content ecosystems, not relying solely on live events.
- Short-form, platform-native storytelling keeps narratives alive between races and lowers the barrier for new, younger audiences to engage.
- AI-powered content creation platforms enable rights holders to scale engagement, convert attention into fandom, and drive long-term commercial value.
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The 2026 Formula 1 season, which kicks off this weekend, was preceded by the release of the eighth season of Drive to Survive. Since launching in 2019, Netflix’s globally acclaimed behind-the-scenes docuseries has been credited with turbocharging the popularity of F1, especially among younger generations, drawing attention from publications such as The New Yorker, The New York Times, Esquire, and more.
For good reason, too. According to F1, it now has 827 million fans worldwide, a 63% increase compared to 2018. Drive to Survive is responsible for a sizable chunk of this fan base; data from market research company Morning Consult revealed that 22% of F1 fans in the US said the series was a “major reason” they started following the sport.
While Drive to Survive has a claim to be one of the most influential TV documentaries ever, it’s only one part of a broader strategy. Under owner Liberty Media, which took over in 2017, F1 has made a concerted effort to diversify its audience by positioning itself at the intersection of fashion, status, and personality, and becoming part of the cultural zeitgeist through collaborations with high-profile brands and engaging digital experiences.
Building Beyond the Track
On the brand collaboration front, F1 partnered with the likes of LEGO, global fashion brand Tommy Hilfiger, and luxury goods conglomerate LVMH (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton), among others. Then there was F1 75 Years in Motion, a pop-up event at Selfridges, the iconic Oxford Street retailer, featuring vintage apparel worn by legendary teams and drivers, collectables, and art and photography tracing the sport’s cultural impact over the years.
F1 75 Years in Motion opened in late June, two days before F1 the Movie hit cinemas in the UK. A joint project of Apple Original Films and F1, the film – starring Brad Pitt as an aging driver making a comeback to the sport – was a box office success, earning more than $630 million globally. A crossover with EA’s F1 25 game, allowing millions of gamers to race as APXGP, the fictional team at the heart of the film’s story, only amplified the hype around F1 the Movie.
Building on the film’s momentum, F1 announced a five-year partnership with Apple, which became the sport’s exclusive broadcast partner in the US from 2026. “We’re going to bring everything that Apple has to offer,” said Eddy Cue, the company’s senior VP of services. “Podcasting, music, Apple News, obviously Apple TV. We have so many touch points with our customers, and we’re going to bring all of the capabilities, (just) like we did with the movie.”
The New Face of F1 Fandom
F1’s efforts have yielded results. What was once a technically driven sport for male enthusiasts is now attracting new audiences; in 2025, 43% of F1 fans were under the age of 35, and female representation rose to 42% – up from 37% in 2018. According to F1’s 2025 global survey, based on more than 100,000 responses from self-identified, highly engaged fans in 186 countries, fans are increasingly drawn to the variety of stories and engagement options the racing series offers:
- 59% of emerging fans say fashion and style are important to their fandom
- 70% of Gen Z respondents feel that Formula 1 represents a status or image that appeals to them.
- 61% of fans engage with F1 content daily. Among Gen Zers, 60% regularly consume F1 content on YouTube or Twitch, which function as entry points to fandom.
“For a long time in Formula One, there was no interaction with the outside. It was very closed – you could only see it on TV,” said Bernie Collins, an analyst for Sky Sports and former head of race strategy for the Aston Martin F1 team. “Now they’ve done the best, I think, with social media interaction, with short clips, with trying to get short-form content out there that people can consume really easily.”
To ensure content consumption doesn’t happen exclusively on third-party platforms, F1 recently relaunched its official website and app. The redesigned platforms enable fans to personalize their experience and introduce modern and familiar such as mobile-first stories and vertical videos. The result: since the relaunch, more time is being spent on F1.com and the official mobile app, with total content views up 17% compared to 2024.
Scaling Storytelling With Automation
This evolution underscores a broader lesson for rights holders: audience expansion is no longer driven by live coverage alone. Consistently publishing snackable content reinforces brand identity, keeps narratives alive between weekends, and lowers the barrier to entry for new fans. Short-form videos, in particular, allow organizations to tap into cultural conversations, extend storylines, and remain visible long after the final whistle or checkered flag.
To execute that consistently, you need the right tech. AI-powered content creation solutions enable organizations to automatically generate and distribute clips across channels while funneling them back to owned platforms, where personalization turns casual viewers into known users. With this strategy, the 2026 F1 season will thrive not only on Drive to Survive’s storytelling power, but on the entire digital ecosystem around it.
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Actionable insights:
- Don’t let momentum drop after matchday or race weekend; plan short-form storylines, personality-driven clips, and cultural tie-ins that keep your property visible daily.
- Produce vertical, square, and captioned edits tailored to modern platforms to maximize discoverability and reach new demographics.
- Pair every high-performing clip with clear pathways to your app or website, where registration, personalization, and targeted offers can turn casual viewers into loyal fans.
