Add Formula 1 to the growing list of traditional sports that are using esports as a way to connect with a younger gaming demographic. The NBA, NFL and FIFA also have esports game plans to target millennial and younger fans. Now F1 has partnered with esports league Gfinity to turn Codemasters’ bestselling F1 2017 game into a virtual sport.
Frank Arthofer, global head of digital and new business at Formula 1, told AListDaily that the 2017 F1 Esport Series will be the first year of an annual competition, highlighting a long-term investment in esports and gaming as well as a continued ambition to build a greater connection with wider audiences, especially younger fans.
Arthofer has watched as the NFL worked with EA Sports to use Madden as a hook to attract younger NFL fans and he believes that same formula will work for F1.
“There’s no better way to invest in a gaming platform than to bring a competition element to it,” Arthofer said. “Although adding a steering wheel to a gaming console doesn’t replicate the physical and mental challenges of real Formula 1 racing, it does nicely mimic the racing experience.”
Arthofer believes this commitment to esports over the coming years will help F1 drive commercial value for the sport, providing real long-term opportunities for TV audiences and broadcast rights holders, as well as existing and new sponsors interested in esports.
The launch of this first season coincided with the release of Codemasters’ critically-acclaimed F1 2017 game, which received the highest Metacritic score in the franchise. Arthofer said F1 has worked more closely with Codemasters in the game’s development in an effort to grow the video game audience. So far, he said the new game’s sales are well outpacing last year’s title at around the same time period.
“We’re still determining esports plans for 2018 and beyond, but next year, Codemasters is working to release the game earlier in the season in an effort to better align the F1 season with the esports season,” Arthofer said.
As for the inaugural season, qualification events will take place throughout September to determine the quickest 40 drivers. These will progress to the live semifinal events, to be hosted at the Gfinity Arena in London on October 10th and 11th. The top 20 will progress to the Finals, which will take place at the Yas Marina as part of the 2017 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on November 24 and 25. At the end of a three-race event, the first Formula 1 Esports World Champion will be crowned on the same weekend as the final 2017 Formula 1 Grand Prix.
The winner will automatically qualify for the semifinals of next year’s Formula 1 Esports Series. In addition, he or she will also be offered the opportunity to live the full experience of a Formula 1 race by attending one of the 2018 Grands Prix, as well as becoming a character in the F1 2018 game.
“Long-term prizes will focus on sustaining our esports ecosystem,” Arthofer said. “We want these virtual drivers to be able to make a living competing in this game.”
While F1 is still working out all of the details, Arthofer said there’s been a lot of outside interest from new potential partners interested in this esports series.
“Our first priority is always to deepen our sponsor relationships with existing categories, but esports might open up brand new sponsor categories,” Arthofer explained. “And then those new brands could expand beyond esports to other aspects of F1.”
Arthofer said F1 has received both broadcast and online platform interest for this esports series. While details are still being finalized, he acknowledged the success Twitch has had in aggregating online fans in general, and pointed out the success Turner has had with esports through its ELeague initiative in the US.
“Sky is a big partner of ours, and across the globe, others will follow as the US and Europe lead in that area of esports broadcasts,” Arthofer said.
When it comes to traditional esports like Riot Games’ League of Legends and Valve’s CS:GO, Arthoder believes a key to those successes has been in facilitating the community around them.
“We’re investing in an online community of gamers to connect with them on f1esports.com, which will link players to one another,” Arthofer said. “We want to connect fans with us, but also create an ecosystem for the fans. There’s a lot we can borrow from what League of Legends has done successfully.”
There’s also an opportunity to grow F1 esports in new ways. McLaren recently launched its own esports tournament, which will reward a winner with a full-time job as a McLaren F1 simulation driver.
“What McLaren is doing is smart and cool, but given our position as the commercial rights holder around marketing and sponsorship, and our ability to monetize these opportunities, we believe other teams will be chomping at the bit to participate in esports with us,” Arthofer said.
