Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, 2019

Netflix F1 series caused “surge in interest from women”

2019 Mexican Grand Prix

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Netflix Formula 1’s series Drive to Survive has led to a sharp increase in the number of women attending the Mexican Grand Prix, race promoter Alejandro Soberon has said.

The number of women attending the event has risen by 30% compared to last year, according to Soberon, who is the president of race promoter CIE.

“We noticed that we have like a 30 percent increase in interest [from] women,” he said.

“I think the series especially had an effect on ladies who found very, extremely boring this racing concept until they discovered it was drama behind. There was a different narrative and I think that helped. And many of the guys who would just come along now have a problem.”

The promoter’s ticket sales data and survey back up the view that the Netflix series increased interest in the championship among women.

“We have tested and it’s related directly related to the Netflix series,” he said. “And they answer and they comment and at least in Mexico, it was wildly successful.”

“We know exactly who buys our tickets,” he added. “We know the gender, the age, where they’re coming from. And we investigate, we adore data. We think it’s fundamental in this business. So we know it’s a surge, a real surge in interest from women.”

Soberon called the series “a very big success: It was a great idea, it was great [execution]. It was good.” He believes it made the human side of the championship more tangible.

“It’s not so distant anymore, you can touch somehow. It becomes more human. All this technology and these things who can race at 300 [kph], this seems like aliens. And I think that series just made it humans again.”

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18 comments on “Netflix F1 series caused “surge in interest from women””

  1. But how this drama is translated to the people on the track? I mean, I don’t see the connection: Oh, there is a drama element, let’s go to the track and pray we have a large screen in front of us, so we can see a little more of this drama they speak of.
    For further nitpicking, choose from the menu:
    – F1 race is boring;
    – women are primarily interested in drama infused activities;
    – no privacy as you buy a F1 event ticket.

    1. To be fair, if you buy anything with a credit card there is no privacy.

      1. The other day a bug entered my house.
        The next ad I see on youtube was pest control.

        1. and then Netflix recommends Disney’s Antz.

    2. What you miss is that most fans are not as jaded as you are. People who comment on this, website tend to be hardcore fans. Many who have been watching the sports for decades. Many of this old fans behave as all hardcore fans do: “it was better before”, “these guys are a bunch of sissies”, “back in the day it was [fill in the blank], etc, etc. Curmudgeon kinda of stuff. But you know, you’re in that category I imagine.

      1. Uh, this has nothing to do with what they commented. They didn’t imply that ‘it was better before’, call the driver a sissy or say anything along the lines of ‘back in the day’. You either replied to the wrong comment or are hell bent on going all out pro Liberty. Yes they nitpicked a little, but the points they make are very valid.

    3. You underestimate the women ability to see drama everywhere and in everyone.

    4. It is a natural drama. I’ve always said it was much more interesting than any soap opera. It’s the struggle to get to the top, the politics, the luck. That’s drama. I’ve been watching F1 for 20 years and that’s one of the things that has always fascinated me.

  2. Women love drama? … you could have fooled me ……….. :-|

    1. When it comes to sports, everyone loves drama. Unless you’re extrapolating this to mean something chauvinistic instead of taking the comment in context

  3. Soberon called the series “a very big success: It was a great idea, it was great [execution]. It was good.” He believes it made the human side of the championship more tangible.

    Mr.Soberon, did Mr.Trump give you this message, or are you just similarly detached from reality?

    1. @dallein hmm have you looked at the viewership numbers? Who’s detached from reality here. It was a huge success. They are making season 2 for a reason. Now go back to drinking your pickle juice

  4. If Netflix produced a season long series following professional lawn bowling more people would follow that sport too.

    1. Netflix should make a series about Netflix’s content producers and, in 30% increments, get all the atoms in the universe as subscribers.

  5. …or, many like myself watched on someone elses netflix account.

  6. CEO – “We are losing genuine fans who used to love our product”

    Advertising Exec – “Not a problem, we can make more money anyway from people who saw it once on Netflix and think it is like a Hollywood movie”

    CEO – “Fantastic, order me a new Bentley!”

  7. Geez commenters on this site these days are a drag. I was under the impression that most people here enjoyed the series—I certainly did, anyhow.

    Doesn’t seem to matter what the news is, the majority commenting here will have something to complain about.

    1. Only the Ocon episode was a drag. The rest was enjoyable. I don’t remember which driver the wife developed a dislike for, though.

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