Formula One fans will have a new way to watch races starting in May via its subscription streaming service, F1 TV, and at least part of that initiative may have been spawned by interactions between the league and the Reddit community.
In October of last year, Formula One took to Reddit to ask the “/r/Formula1” community what they wanted to see in digital initiatives going forward. Those who responded clamored for cord-cutting, and that is what F1 TV promises.
What is the future of F1 digital content? What do you want to see? from r/formula1
As part of this new streaming arrangement, in addition to traditional TV broadcasts, fans will have two streaming options starting with Spanish Grand Prix in mid May. Those who purchase the top tier streaming option – F1 TV Pro – will have access to the 20 driver cameras, side-by-side race viewing and everything before and after races. The lower tier – F1 TV Access – provides live race timing and radio broadcasts. It will also give viewers access to extended highlights and the F1 archive, but not live race video feeds.
The move can’t come soon enough, as early 2018 races that were available only through broadcast had their share of problems. ESPN was bashed for cutting to ads at key moments and mid-commentary — the original broadcast from which ESPN received its feed was provided ad-free by Sky.
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SportTechie Takeaway
Companies have increasingly been talking with Reddit communities to get feedback on future initiatives, and it’s notable to see a major sports brand put the community to use. In response to Formula One’s inquiry, Reddit user /u/hurgaburga7 laid out a comprehensive strategy for the racing giant to embrace streaming.
In 2015, soccer club A.S. Roma also used Reddit crowdsourcing to solicit feedback on a website redesign. But beware sports rights holders, Reddit is fickle: come correct with solid content and the outcomes will pay dividends. Try to use it as a publicity stopover and the backlash may be severe — just look at game maker Electronic Arts and the communities’ reception to Star Wars’ Battlefront.
Over-the-top (OTT) subscription services are popping up regularly, so it’s hard to say how much impact the Reddit interaction had on Formula One’s decision-making process. ESPN recently announced ESPN+, which is effectively a reimagined version of WatchESPN, although the company has promised new and exclusive content through the app. In addition to ESPN, Turner Sports announced its own OTT service focused on Bleacher Report called B/R Live. That service came from the personal experiences of Turner Sports president Lenny Daniels, who likened the service to iTunes.