The Formula One motor-racing series has agreed a global partnership with social media platform Snapchat in a move that reflects efforts by the sport’s new owners, Liberty Media, to embrace digital media.
The deal with Snapchat’s parent company Snap Inc. represents Formula One’s first commercial collaboration with a major digital and mobile-first platform, and will officially commence this weekend with coverage of the British Grand Prix on Sunday through Snapchat’s Our Stories feature.
Former F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone was famously averse to the merits of digital and social media. The partnership with Snap is part of an ongoing strategy from F1’s new regime to develop the sport on several digital platforms, as well as the official F1 app and formula1.com.
Frank Arthofer, head of digital and new business at Formula One, said: “This is the first step towards expanding our social media strategy. Right from the start, we have said we want to work with partners to bring fans closer to the amazing show that is Formula One, an incredible mix of technology and individual talent – and Snap fits that bill.
“We need to continue to bring new fans to the sport – by reaching out to them on social media platforms with behind the scenes, fun and engaging content. Snap’s platform is one of the most popular among ‘millennials,’ a sector we are particularly keen on attracting, as it represents the future of our sport.”
Our Stories, one of three types of content on Snapchat’s Discover platform, are compilations of video and photo Snaps submitted from users at events and locations around the world, and curated by teams of editors and producers at Snapchat.
After this weekend’s inaugural Our Story at the British Grand Prix, Snap will cover the races in Singapore, Japan, the US, Mexico, Brazil and Abu Dhabi.