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Time for F1 to embrace alternative media

With the sport's TV audiences declining, now's the time to see alternative media as an opportunity to maximise exposure rather than any sort of threat, according to JONATHAN NOBLE

The fall in Formula 1's television viewing figures by 50 million in 2013 prompted many doom mongers to suggest the end was nigh for grand prix racing. Such a huge drop-off in interest, at a time when F1 is crying out for more fans and bigger sponsors, was viewed as a warning sign for the extent of the trouble it was in.

The move to pay-TV channels, in a bid to chase the only networks that could afford the huge rights fees F1 demands, has not unsurprisingly led to a dramatic cut in audiences - already weakened by Red Bull dominance and less-than-spectacular racing.

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Author Jonathan Noble

Jonathan Noble is Motorsport.com’s Formula 1 editor. Having graduated from University of Sussex Jonathan worked for sports news agency Collings Sports reporting on F1, F3, touring cars and other sports, with articles appearing in The Daily Telegraph, The Independent, Reuters, Autosport and other publications. In 1999 he moved to Haymarket Publishing to become a senior editor at Autosport Special Projects, and one year later he became Autosport’s grand prix editor. In 2015 he moved to Motorsport Network, becoming the F1 editor for Motorsport.com. He is also a member of the Guild of Motoring Writers, and sits on the FIA Media Council.