F1 has announced that they will broadcast this year’s Eifel GP on Youtube for free in selected European regions.
In a surprising move, F1 announced the broadcast of this year’s Eifel GP at Nurburging on Youtube for free in seven European regions, namely, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Norway, Sweden and Denmark on October 9-11.
It is a new – for now one-time – partnership between F1 and Youtube but restricted to the above regions with the whole weekend’s proceedings to be broadcasted especially for them along with race previews, highlights, and analysis.
Adam Crothers, Head of Digital Media Rights, Formula 1 said: “We are thrilled to be working with YouTube on such an exciting project. As we continue to diversify our media distribution strategy and expand our digital offering, it is imperative that we engage fans who consume mediums differently and YouTube offers us the platform to achieve that.
“Partnering with YouTube also ensures we continue our pursuit of engaging new audiences in new ways to grow the F1 fanbase whilst continuing to innovate our media offering for new and existing fans.”
Tomos Grace, Head of Sport, YouTube EMEA said: “YouTube helps sport reach the fans of tomorrow – 70% of Formula 1’s YouTube audience is under the age of 35. Sports broadcasters and organisers increasingly recognise YouTube’s ability to reach these new audiences and generate incremental revenue.
“F1 has always been one of the most innovative brands in sport, as dynamic in their video creation as they are on the track. F1’s decision to live stream their most premium content on YouTube is further evidence of YouTube’s role as a trusted partner to the industry.”
The F1 content on Youtube has grown significantly ever since the takeover from Liberty Media, which has resulted in massive number growth and also advertising opportunities. The company, themselves, is stepping up to broadcast live shows.
The F1 move does comes as a surprise but it seems like logical step as the sport is already broadcasting the FIA Formula 2 Championship races this year on Youtube for free in India, Germany and Brazil thus far.
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