F1 Academy, the all-female support series, will be shown live in over 160 international territories and on the series’ social channels.
Contract:
- A total of 23 broadcasters will air the second season of F1 Academy around the world
- All qualifying and race sessions will also be available on the series’ YouTube and X channels via F1 TV
- Nicki Shields will be lead commentator, with Jordan King and Alex Brundle sharing co-commentary duties throughout the year
Context:
A global broadcast package is a much-needed step for a series that was unable to be watched live last year, outside of the season finale which was shown live in over 100 territories. Initially, the concept of streaming F1 Academy live was “quite challenging”, as Formula One’s head of digital technology James Bradshaw told BlackBook Motorsport.
The change this year is that F1 Academy will be racing alongside Formula One at seven events, so the infrastructure will already be in place without requiring any additional expense. While racing with Formula One is a positive step for the visibility of the series, it appears to be a departure from the initial goals of giving female drivers more in-car experience given it will have to compete for time on the track.
Comment:
“Our mission at F1 Academy is to get more women participating in motorsport, both on and off the track,” said Susie Wolff, managing director of F1 Academy. “To do that we need to reach new audiences and prove to young girls there is a place for them in our sport.
“I want to extend a thank you to our broadcast partners for believing in our mission and for joining us on this journey to inspire a new generation of fans. You have to see it to believe it, now you can’t miss us.”
Coming next:
The second season of F1 Academy gets underway this weekend in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from 7th to 9th March.
Go deeper:
- F1 Academy and Charlotte Tilbury: Why brands need to up their game when it comes to sponsorship
- ‘We are making steps, but we are not there yet’: Analysing the state of play for women in motorsport
BlackBook Motorsport Forum is back for its 10th anniversary edition. Join us in London this April to navigate the transformation of motorsport and the trends driving the industry forward into the next decade.