Here is a rundown of what got me thinking...
New weekend, same result as Álex Palou won the earliest IndyCar race ever held at Barber Motorsports Park. Unnoticed until Sunday morning, MotoGP re-introduced the United States Grand Prix moniker for the Austin race, replacing the Grand Prix of the Americas that had been used since 2013 when MotoGP had three races in the United States. Supercross has a new championship leader. NASCAR was in Martinsville. A safety car flipped the Mercedes in Japan. Max Verstappen may quit. Dramatics aside, the first month of this Formula One season has been different in the United States, brought to the viewer in a new way.
Adjusting to Apple
It has only been three races, but we have had a decent sample size of Formula One's time on AppleTV in the United States. It has been a month and we will have a month until the next time we get to use the streaming service, as Formula One has an unexpected month off due to the current Middle East conflict preventing the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia rounds from taking place.
How has it been?
It is a different experience, but once you get to watching a session, it is the same as if you were watching on Speed, NBCSN or ESPN. There is actually more at your disposal, and the biggest shakeup is the process and the build up to a broadcast.
For the first round of the season in Australia, despite knowing it was race weekend and the anticipation to the first practice, it came out of nowhere on that Thursday night. For most of the day, Formula One was out of sight and out of mind. Unlike the previous experiences on a cable channel, Formula One was not being promoted within other programming. It wasn't like Speed where you would hear about Formula One practice or qualifying during NASCAR coverage. It wasn't getting promos during NHL games like it was on NBCSN and ESPN. When you go about your day, those little reminders, as much as people say they hate commercials, are beneficial. Otherwise, it is lost.
AppleTV is its own little island. It is not a channel in the traditional sense. You might tune in for a show or a film, but how many people have it on non-stop for three hours after getting home from work? It isn't on in the background. It also isn't a sports hub, which is where Formula One has been for the better part of the 21st century in the United States. Whether it was NBCSN, ESPN or even Speed though that was motorsports-focused, Formula One was a column a part of a larger structure. It was around other properties that had their own viewers. It was a guest at a party. Some people you knew, others you didn't, but you were all in the same place. AppleTV does not fit that model, and it likely will not anytime soon.
We are not going to see a 24/7 sports channel from AppleTV where its goal is to draw viewers all day, starting with the slop of debate shows and simulcasted podcasts from about 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. when live events take place. It is meant to be a hub. You come to watch the property when it is taking place. That is what it has done with Major League Soccer. That is what its Friday Major League Baseball games are like. Outside of when the games take place, there is no other reason to be on AppleTV if you are just looking to watch MLS, MLB or now Formula One.
The best hope of promotion for Formula One is alert that AppleTV gives for upcoming or in progress events, but through three races, it has not felt like those have been numerous. I have watched MLS and subscribed once when Lionel Messi first joined Inter Miami. I still get alerts about matches happening. "Close game in Seattle. Can the Sounders hold off Toronto FC." I even get such alerts for NHL games for some reason, and Apple doesn't even have NHL rights. I have yet to get one for a Formula One session. "Practice is underway from Suzuka. Who will top the charts?" Nothing. That could just be me and my notifications, but those alerts, whether desired or not, is Formula One's best promotional tool on Apple, and it is limited because if you don't have an Apple device, you aren't getting those.
That is kind of the problem and the concern with this contract. Can Formula One really reach out and grow viewership in the United States when it is secluded to solely a streaming platform? Plenty of people only stream their television, but in the increasingly segmented viewership world, people tend not to flock to one platform for one thing. There are shows people love, but the property needs some variety. Formula One has a built-in fanbase, but paying the monthly subscription for AppleTV when it will only be used for practice, qualifying and races, at most three days a week for a combined seven to eight hours depending on how much pre-race and post-race a person consumes could be the bridge too far.
When it was readily available, Formula One was worth the time and effort. When a barrier was erected, the effort was no longer worth it.
In all likelihood, there are plenty of people who have no idea we are three races into the Formula One season who would have at least been aware a year ago because it was on ESPN and it could be easily bumped into. Has there been one second of highlights aired on SportsCenter? I know last year a race highlight would make SportsCenter. ESPN provided some presence at the United States races, not much but there were boots on the ground and it let its viewers be known it was at the grand prix. Miami drew big viewership on network ABC. That isn't going to be there this year, and while Apple claimed big viewership without releasing any numbers after Australia, it is difficult to imagine the race will attract the same amount of attention as in recent years.
The home races are where we will truly know how viewership has been. Every Formula One race is drawing a crowd, and there are enough people who are buying tickets without being diehard viewers. The change might not be seen in year one, but in a few years, when the wave of the first half of the 2020s dies down, the picture will be much more clear about how this broadcast deal is helping or hurting with interest in the United States.
That is all tangential to the actual viewing experience. When it comes to turning on practice, qualifying or the race, there is no difference. What is different is the number of options, and it gives the viewer plenty of tools to make the broadcast what you wish it to be.
Want the F1TV commentators? Done. Want Sky Sports? That is also an option.
A viewer gets onboard cameras for every car. There is the telemetry feed. You can even make customizable multi-boxes. You could have a four-box with the race broadcast and your three favorite drivers. You could have just an onboard of George Russell and the map showing where the cars are on track. That was not available in previous Formula One broadcast agreements.
It is difficult to complain when you can make the race viewing experience whatever you wish. It isn't a case of being stuck with whatever broadcast you are given. No one should ever think "too many options" is a negative experience. If you want just Sky Sports that is available, but if you want more and you want to experiment, you are free to do so, and that was never possible previously regardless of what channel held the rights.
Let's see how things change after May. The start of the Formula One season is not the best for the East Coast of the United States. Part of the absenteeism could have been sessions were starting at 10:00 p.m. or later and I wasn't 100% invested in watching or I was already planning on watching it once I woke up in the morning. That was how it was with previous broadcasters, but instead of setting a DVR, I just have to open AppleTV and select the session broadcast and I can choose to start from the beginning.
That is an advantageous change. I no longer must worry about setting a recording before going to bed or worry about a broadcast being bumped to a different channel because of another live taking place before hand. AppleTV will have the session ready to go, whether I want to start from the beginning or join in progress.
Three races is barely any time and the next two rounds are North American-based. This will be a big chance for Apple to draw in viewers. The next two races in Miami and Montreal are on at favorable hours. If people want to watch them, they could not be any more accommodating to the viewer. No staying up late. No getting up early. But is AppleTV too steep of a climb for those hoping to watch?
Maybe someday we will get a clear picture of how it is going.
Winners From the Weekend
You know about Álex Palou, but did you know...
Marco Bezzecchi won MotoGP's United States Grand Prix, his fifth consecutive victory dating back to last season. Jorge Martín won the sprint race. Senna Agius won in Moto2. Guidi Pino won in Moto3, his first career victory.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli won the Japanese Grand Prix, his second consecutive victory.
Chase Elliott won the NASCAR Cup race from Martinsville. Justin Allgaier won the Grand National Series race, his third victory of the season.
Nikita Johnson and Alessandro de Tullio split the Indy Lights races from Barber.
The #34 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG of Michai Stephens and Mikaël Grenier won the GT World Challenge America race from Sonoma. The #68 RAFA Racing Team Toyota of Westin Workman and Tyler Gonzalez swept the GT4 America races. Memo Gidley swept the GT America races.
Nicolò Bulega swept the World Superbike races from Portimão. Valentin Debise swept the World Supersport races.
Ken Roczen won the Supercross race from Detroit, his second victory of the season. Cole Davies won the 250cc race, his third victory of the season.
Coming Up This Weekend
Easter weekend see Supercross at St. Louis.
Super Formula opens its season with a doubleheader at Motegi.
NASCAR's lower two divisions will race on Friday and Saturday at Rockingham.
