Formula One
Features
Closed-door sport gives fresh impetus to innovations in virtual hospitality
Closed-door sport is forcing innovation and fresh thinking about virtual hospitality. But can it ever hope to replace the real behind-the-ropes experience? Ben Cronin reports.
Singapore focuses on return on investment as city’s Covid-19 recovery plan gathers pace
Singapore’s biggest annual sporting event, the Formula 1 Grand Prix, has become a casualty of the pandemic, but as a regional hub for major sports agencies and with a track record of hosting major events, ‘destination Singapore’ is preparing to welcome back sport with a cost-conscious approach.
‘We’re very focused on bringing the cost cap down’ | Mark Waller, McLaren F1
Mark Waller, managing director, sales and marketing, McLaren F1, talks about the difficult decision to furlough some staff members during the Covid-19 pandemic and argues the case for an even lower team cost cap in Formula 1.
Formula 1 could have up to seven different regional betting sponsors, says ISG
Digital advertising technology could allow Formula 1 to have up to seven different regional betting sponsors, according to the sport’s global data and betting rights partner Interregional Sports Group.
Free-to-air Spanish Grand Prix more likely after government intervention
The likelihood of the Spanish Grand Prix being shown on free-to-air television in the country has increased after a ruling handed down by the Spanish government
Match TV renews F1 rights but loses exclusivity as F1 TV Pro to launch
Gazprom Media-owned Match TV has renewed its Formula One broadcast rights in Russia, but has lost exclusivity as the premium version of F1TV, the series’ OTT platform, is set for launch in the country i…
Closed-door races sped up transition to remote production says F1’s Al-Kudcy
The Covid-19 pandemic and the need to operate Formula 1 races behind closed doors have sped up the motorsport’s transition to remote television production according to F1's head of commercial partnerships, Z…
ServusTV and ORF finalise three-year F1 rights-sharing deal
Austrian commercial broadcaster ServusTV has announced a new three-year deal for Formula 1 media rights, and will sublicense half of the races to the country’s public-service broadcaster ORF.
Formula E closing the gap on Formula 1 as a sponsorship proposition
Sponsorship deal values in Formula E are catching up with Formula One according to Robin Fenwick, founder of specialist motorsport agency Right Formula. Matthew Glendinning reports.
McLaren’s new commercial chief Mark Waller is bringing lessons from American sport
Mark Waller joined McLaren Racing in May from the NFL, becoming the British motorsport team's managing director of sales and marketing. He's relishing his new role, and sees opportunities to drive the business forward in adding consumer-facing sponsors, creating more digital content, and expanding the team's already impressive esports programme.
Virtual advertising technology unlocks split sponsorship inventory and multi-lingual graphics for Formula One
Formula One is likely to implement virtual advertising more widely in its global broadcast feed following its sponsorship and data rights partnership with ISG. But the sport needs to be careful not to fall foul of broadcast regulations concerning product placement. Ben Cronin reports
Liberty demonstrates its Asian ambitions with Hanoi Grand Prix announcement
Hanoi will host a Grand Prix in 2020 after first expressing interest in 2016
Formula One enlists biometric testing to better understand its TV audience
Formula One is working with market research group Populus on biometric studies of the live TV audience during grand prix coverage. Jonathan Dyson reports on how the work is being carried out and how the results are being used.
Audience research drives F1 to brings fans closer with city-based festivals
Formula One’s director of marketing and communications Ellie Norman tells Ben Cronin why the sport’s series of city-based Fan Festivals aim to make it more accessible to audiences and promote it beyond the confines of a Grand Prix weekend.
Sean Bratches: ‘If we can serve the fan, all the manifestations of our business will benefit’
In a wide-ranging interview with SportBusiness International's Ben Cronin, Sean Bratches, Formula One's managing director of commercial operations, outlines the sport's ambitious plans, from esports to OTT and sponsorship.
Lad culture | Sport Bible’s deal with Force India points to a new direction for Formula One
Force India's deal with Sport Bible could be a precursor to Formula One establishing a new relationship with social media. Andy Fry finds out more.
Headline interview | Bernie Ecclestone
Owen Evans speaks exclusively to Bernie Ecclestone about the deals, confrontations and court cases that have marked his career in Formula One
CEO checklist | The qualities needed to replace Bernie Ecclestone
Many names from both inside and outside Formula One have been mentioned in connection with succeeding Bernie Ecclestone, but there is no one person who can do Bernie Ecclestone’s job in the way he can. Formula One insiders believe a team of senior executives will need to be hired when the time comes to replace him. Matt Cutler reports.
Apple buys Formula 1 | A warning against the dangers of speculative journalism
Our guest blogger, Richard Gillis, says you shouldn't believe every rumour you read about the sports sector
The Leader: Claire Williams
Claire Williams, the deputy team principal and commercial director of the Williams F1 team, writes exclusively for SportBusiness International about the changing face of the sport.
Sponsorship Activation: F1
Crispin Bolt is Client Services Director at GMR Marketing, having joined the company earlier this year. Previous to GMR, Bolt spent six years as a Senior Partner Manager at the McLaren Formula One team. Here’s his take on the best and worst of sponsorship activation in the sport.
Archive | Bernie Ecclestone, anatomy of a successful Formula 1 CEO
As Bernie Ecclestone's tenure as the head of Formula 1 comes to an end, we revisit a piece from 2014 in which senior stakeholders in Formula One identify the 10 qualities that made him so successful