NASCAR govt Tim Clark has responded to the calls he had for a Drive to Survive-like collection for the championship after System 1 noticed such big success with the Netflix docuseries. Whereas NASCAR has launched one thing related in Full Velocity, accessible on the identical streaming service, it hasn’t been in a position to mirror the success seen by F1, however has nonetheless managed big progress after a $55million funding was made into unique content material.
Speaking on the Autosport Enterprise Trade New York occasion forward of the US Grand Prix, Clark mentioned the assets the collection is investing in these tasks.
“It is humorous, this group might most likely shortly flip right into a Drive to Survive assist group,” he laughed. “The variety of occasions I received telephone calls that had been, ‘Hey, have you considered doing a Drive to Survive for NASCAR?’
“And I used to be like, ‘yeah, seems all you do is name 1-800-Netflix and you will order it up and so they’ll do it. I simply hadn’t considered it. I want you’d have stated one thing sooner.’
“So we’ve finished, I’d say we’ve invested a important quantity, I’d say most likely behind the competitors, unique content material is the realm of our enterprise that we’ve targeted on and invested in additional over the past half-dozen years.
“Early final 12 months we opened a $55million manufacturing facility in Harmony, North Carolina, that was designed definitely for the reside manufacturing component, but in addition for unique content material growth. Round that very same time frame we employed a gentleman by the identify of John Dahl. John was at ESPN for quite a lot of years and John and Connor Schell and Invoice Simmons had been form of the three co-creators of the 30 for 30 collection.
“We’ve finished some work with Connor and his firm Phrases and Footage. I’d say this 12 months, we’re in most likely probably the most profitable 12 months most likely in NASCAR historical past from an unique content material standpoint.
“We had season 2 of Full Velocity on Netflix, we had American Thunder, which was NASCAR to Le Mans on Amazon, and we additionally did the Earnhardt doc on Amazon, which was one of many top-performing sports activities docs that Amazon has had.
“I believe for all of us, to a sure extent, you’ve got to inform tales that get folks invested emotionally within the product they are going to watch on observe on Saturday or Sunday. ‘Helmet-off’ content material’ – you have to give folks an emotional attachment to what has put them able to compete. I imply, all of those, for each type of motorsport up right here, they’re the most effective at what they do.
“They’re the most effective athletes on the planet at what they do. What they do on Sunday or Saturday is awfully compelling, that makes you need to know what they’re doing on Tuesday or on Thursday, and our means to make use of content material whether or not it is unique docs, whether or not it is social media, or someplace within the center. That’s key to how we’ll evolve our product.”
Clark is NASCAR’s govt vice chairman and chief model officer, a job he assumed in 2024 after a restructuring of the sanctioning physique, and his quotes come because the championship goals to seize the immense success F1 is seeing due to a robust push into the US market.
Liberty Media’s acquisition of F1 in 2017 noticed a complete rebuild of how the model is promoted in world markets. A push in social media protection to a youthful viewers supported the symbolic opening of the paddock to the general public via Drive to Survive, and this has paid dividends because the collection continues to take pleasure in inflated viewership and income.
NASCAR: Full Velocity was acquired positively by followers, with every season specializing in a single plot and only a few drivers. Compared to Drive to Survive, which jumped between groups, drivers, and races from episode to episode whereas exaggerating the drama of a season, the American collection has leant on the true drama of the Playoffs.
Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing Toyota, Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing Toyota
Photograph by: Sean Gardner / Getty Photographs
The place it failed, nonetheless, was in introducing the championship to new followers. Whereas Drive to Survive defined the race in probably the most fundamental of phrases, generally virtually comically, NASCAR: Full Velocity didn’t decrease the obstacles to entry fully. And with simply 5 episodes per season, there wasn’t sufficient for followers to essentially get their tooth into.
On its launch, nonetheless, it managed to hit the highest 5 most-viewed exhibits listing in the US and Canada, with it additionally reaching the highest 10 most-viewed exhibits listing in the UK. However with its second season launched earlier this 12 months, it nonetheless hasn’t gained the momentum of its open-wheeled competitor. With it being 5 seasons behind, although, there’s loads of time for it to develop.
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