The Formula One motor-racing championship has hired sports media industry veteran David Hill to advise on an overhaul of how the series is presented on television.
Hill, formerly a senior executive at US media company 21st Century Fox, will look at F1’s on-screen package, with changes reportedly to include the introduction of virtual advertisements from brands local to where the races are held.
“David Hill, who really built Fox Sports, is an adviser to help, as we go into the next year, launch some innovations and enhancements to the programming package to really bring something fresh to the marketplace,” Formula One chief executive Chase Carey told the Forbes website.
Carey served alongside Hill at Fox, before both left the company. Hill stepped down from Rupert Murdoch’s media company in June 2015 to launch a new production venture.
Hill exited Fox following a decades-long career with the company in which he led and helped launch and establish many of its television businesses, including co-founding Sky Television in the UK, the Fox Network, Fox Sports and the firm’s regional sports networks. He finished his career at the company as senior executive vice-president.
Commenting on plans to revamp F1 broadcasts, Carey added: “We do a professional job today but I think too much of what we do is probably not that different than it was 10 years ago, whether that’s graphics, sound or camera angles.
“We need to make sure we continue to make sure our product has an innovation and an energy that excites and engages fans.”