Driving
the Future
The evolving landscape of sports and entertainment in the US
Driving
the Future
The evolving landscape of sports and entertainment in the US
History was made from October 18-23, 2017 at the USGP in Austin, TX where Formula One arrived at the Circuit of the Americas for the 6th year. It was the first time in F1 history where an American Grand Prix took place at an American circuit with American owners of the sport, all at the same time. It was clear this combination payed off, with Racer reporting an average of 1.05 million viewers tuning in for the race earning a 0.65 rating. That's up over 35% from last year's USGP. Early estimates for attendance at COTA for the USGP in 2017 is expected to surpass last year's 290,000 throughout the weekend.
It was the perfect opportunity to come together and take a pulse check on the direction of F1 under Liberty Media, with so many massive updates already promised and in the works. The majority of these updates are focused toward increasing growth in the marquee North American market, starting with the United States.
Led by the Williams F1 commercial team, Driving the Future is an event created for the many aspects of the sport to connect and identify opportunities for growth together. The event brought together over 90 participants from every discipline of the sport, including: the team, the venues, the sanctioning body and the sponsors. When these four elements find their own unique value, the success of F1 in the United States and North America is endless. To make the opportunity really come to life, guests had the opportunity to take a private tour 23 stories up on the famous COTA tower after the event. If heights were unsettling, guests could instead try their swing at Topgolf Crush, a brand new installation at the USGP for 2017.
Brands Engaged
Brands Engaged
Brands from all over the world, and especially from North America, got exposed to the remarkable platform that is Formula One. Incorporating an engaging mix of current partners, prospective partners, media members, track directors, commercial managers and more, Driving the Future delivered value from numerous different perspectives.
Insights
Insights
Driving the Future was packed with rich and diverse content that had the audience leaving the event full of excitement and inspiration. The insights delivered by some of the leading minds in the sport included Formula One Managing Director of Commercial Operations, Sean Bratches and Circuit of the Americas CEO Bobby Epstein. Offering a more in-depth analysis was Peter Laatz and Michael O'Hara Lynch from Nielsen Sports on the business side complimented by motorsport.com editor Anthony Rowlinson on the competition side. Of course, F1 isn't complete without the exceptionally talented teams and drivers. Representing this group was Williams Martini Racing CEO Mike O'Driscoll and all-star driver Felipe Massa, interviewed by NBC Sports' Will Buxton.
Nielsen Sports played a key role in not only facilitating the day with the other speakers, but also by providing authoritative data and analysis on the trends that matter most to businesses. The team at Nielsen offered leading research to the current and prospective sponsors in the room that balanced the excitement of sport with clear value being delivered by sponsorship.
Media Gallery
Media Gallery
Yesterday we held our 'Driving The Future' event with @MassaFelipe19 @COTA to discuss the growth of @F1 in the US. #USGP #DrivingTheFuture pic.twitter.com/6hlQUUdiWo
— WILLIAMS RACING (@WilliamsRacing) October 20, 2017
See you tonight @F1 🏎 @COTA @THETNKIDS @theshadowboxers GrandPrix #Austin pic.twitter.com/0UFTR0Y2f3
— Justin Timberlake (@jtimberlake) October 21, 2017
Signs of F1’s evolution present as COTA enjoys solid 2017 weekend https://t.co/4Ai4NhJbql
— MotorSportsTalk (@MotorSportsTalk) October 24, 2017
US presidents, sprinting royalty, stars of stage and screen…
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 24, 2017
Austin was a bit of a blockbuster >> https://t.co/858w3HKCNq#USGP 🇺🇸 #F1 pic.twitter.com/5WCaJYtEld
Your map to the best weekend ever. #F1 #USGP pic.twitter.com/VsuWuZKSfA
— COTA (@COTA) October 13, 2017
#F1 has put out a list of celebs expected to attend the Austin race today. pic.twitter.com/d8tvVgoNak
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) October 22, 2017
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Introducing, @MassaFelipe19 and Lance Stroll! @COTA #USGP #DriveForTheCure pic.twitter.com/buuWV5QpUf
— WILLIAMS RACING (@WilliamsRacing) October 22, 2017