F1 launches pre-season testing coverage – but is it enough?

F1 is back in action this week with the first official test in Barcelona, and with it comes the latest initiative to engage with its fanbase; live coverage of pre-season testing on F1 TV and Sky Sports F1.

While FOM and Liberty Media are doing a fantastic job of opening up the sport, F1 TV is limited to selected regions, with the UK, Italy and Australia notable absentees amongst many other Grand Prix host countries. And although the Sky Sports F1 coverage was stellar yesterday afternoon, its limited running time leaves many fans without a live feed for 50% of testing action.

The numbers speak for themselves. Yesterday morning, community-driven streams such as The F1 Word peaked at over 10,000 concurrent viewers prior to Sky switching on at 1pm, and the prevailing line of feedback across F1’s channels being; “Where can I watch testing live?”.

Arguably the largest F1 online community, r/Formula1, went to great lengths to offer a breadth of live sources for its followers, including a private live timing link that reached over 12,000 concurrent viewers, and we’re yet to mention the countless illegitimate streams hosted on services such as Twitch. Ensuring these are taken down swiftly is undoubtedly a headache for F1 and platform holders alike.

Figures for F1 TV itself aren’t currently available, but the highlights reel from yesterday’s action alone has over 300,000 views so far. The hunger for pre-season coverage is real! Series such as Formula E continue to reap the benefits of live-streaming on social (albeit with recently negotiated contracts by comparison), so is it time for F1 to re-evaluate exclusivity deals with pay-TV providers like Sky?

Away from the 21 Grands Prix, special ‘F1 Live’ events and off-season tests offer great opportunities for F1 to put digital – and the fans – first. It’s a path F1 has been making great strides with so far, and one we hope they continue to pursue!