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Welcome


Driving
the Future

The evolving landscape of sports and entertainment in the US

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Welcome


Driving
the Future

The evolving landscape of sports and entertainment in the US

Welcome

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.

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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.

View the film from Driving the Future above.

Scroll through this private recap to see inside the event, and learn about how Williams F1 is leading the charge to capture the numerous opportunities available in the North American market.

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Brands Engaged


Brands Engaged

Brands Engaged


Brands Engaged

Engaging over 90 guests from 39 brands 

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. 

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Insights


Insights

Insights


Insights

Entering a Market with Boundless Opportunity

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. 

2017 Commercial Trends in Motorsport

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. 

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This is a period of rapid shifts and intense competition for attention. Enabled by technology, fans are rewriting the rulebook – they are increasingly demanding and want the ability to watch whatever they want, in whatever way they want, wherever they are.
— Michael O'Hara Lynch | Head of Consulting | Nielsen Sports
 
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Nielsen Sports: Business Trends

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Nielsen Sports:
Motorsport Trends

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Media Gallery


Media Gallery

Media Gallery


Media Gallery

Photos

Film


Social Media