Louise states, ‘Formula 1 has long been synonymous with premium audiences, backed by luxury, automotive, and B2B brands, like Rolex and Mercedes. Traditionally, its fanbase skewed older and male, but since 2017, under Liberty Media’s ownership, the sport has undergone a cultural shift. F1 is now using entertainment to engage new audiences, such as the F175 car launch at The O2, blending motorsport with music and comedy, and June’s Brad Pitt-led F1 movie.
Netflix’s Drive to Survive has also been a game-changer, fuelling a cultural renaissance that has opened F1 up to a whole new audience. But the sport’s digital-first approach, giving drivers more direct fan access through social media and gaming, has been just as transformative.
There’s also been a clear effort to boost female representation, from engineers and presenters to the F1 Academy. And with around 40% of F1’s fanbase now women, we’re seeing the likes of LVMH’s landmark 10-year deal and Charlotte Tilbury’s sponsorship of the F1 Academy cementing sport as the ultimate runway for luxury and beauty brands.
But it’s not just luxury labels. Mainstream consumer brands—KitKat, Lego, McDonald’s and Hot Wheels—are all getting involved, recognising F1’s power to drive engagement with the next-gen fan. Does this mean F1 is losing its premium sheen? Far from it. Instead, it’s evolving to remain relevant, seamlessly aligning itself with the cultural shifts shaping modern fandom.’
“On social media, the shape of the tennis court from the main TV angles does not lend itself neatly to short form 1080 x 1920 reels or stories, and the stars, as a rule, haven’t wholeheartedly bought into the medium,” said James Tollington, Group Director of global sports marketing agency, Fuse.
“For these reasons, the ATP’s announcement with Overtime would seem to make sense – particularly if it produces socially native content that matches the quality of some its biggest content successes.”
“The WTA will no doubt be watching the output closely, and the ATP will be doing the same with the WTA’s rebrand. The design is perhaps not as game-changing in the Gen Z space as the Overtime deal for the moment, but it will have been created with Gen Z in mind and will look to build on some promising 2024 numbers that saw the WTA’s social following increase by 25%,” said Tollington.
Louise Johnson, global chief executive of Fuse, a sports marketing agency, said that “streaming platforms like YouTube are now also embracing longer, unskippable ad formats, mirroring traditional TV slots and allowing for more immersive storytelling”.
James English, Managing Partner at Fuse states,
“The expansion of Netflix’s live sports portfolio will change the way fans consume sport. The number of subscriptions required to view sports is growing, and while multiple broadcasters for the same sport has long been common in the US – the NFL is already shown across seven different broadcasters – in Europe, it’s traditionally a different story.
People in Europe are accustomed to paying for fewer big subscriptions to watch all the sports they love, but Netflix is further challenging the status quo. Netflix will shift things further – because it has access to a vast amount of data. In a world where AI is accelerating personalized content for fans, Netflix is in a strong position to offer levels of personalization for fans that they’ve not previously experienced.
Brands now need to get their paperwork in order, to ensure their contractual rights are updated and reflective of the shift away from traditional broadcasters.
It’s also never been more important to revisit media strategies to jump on this growing trend. For the wider market, many rightsholders will welcome the arrival of Netflix on the scene – as another bidder will mean more competition in the market.”
James Venn, Group Director at Fuse states,
“Advances in streaming technology have allowed Netflix to carefully enter live sports, prioritising key events with massive viewership potential. These moments, or ‘not-to-be-missed’ cultural phenomena, attract audiences at scale.
Netflix’s live events create major revenue opportunities through its 2022 advertising model and its ability to drive subscription growth. Advertisers follow audiences and benefit from Netflix’s data-driven personalisation, audience segmentation, and real-time measurement—positioning live sports as a powerful tool to engage viewers and drive growth for the platform.”
Marie Binet, Head of Insights and Effectiveness at Fuse states,
“Brands really went for gold in this year’s summer of sport, but the effectiveness of measuring their sponsorship investments came in last place. Despite being a complex marketing platform, media equivalency is still being used as the primary form of measurement to determine sponsorship’s holistic value. But sponsorship doesn’t answer just one objective, meaning various techniques must be put in place to isolate its long-term impact from the rest of the marketing mix.
For brands looking to leverage huge sporting opportunities in 2025, we can expect to see a shift to more sophisticated measurement frameworks and methods. Brands need to be looking at measurement across three pillars: media performance and reporting of any fast-moving metrics, impact on brand health and
econometrics modelling. All of these reported holistically to extract actionable insights and support optimisation as well as long term strategies.”
5th December 2024, Mumbai, India: Leading global sport and entertainment agency Fuse, part of Omnicom Media Group (OMG), has today announced the opening of its new office in Mumbai, India, led by Jigar Rambhia. Through Fuse, OMG will capitalise on the burgeoning potential for sports marketing in India, offering a full suite of services to support brands with their end-to-end partnership needs.
Rambhia previously held the position of Chief Operating Officer of Sporjo – a sports industry consultancy – where he was pivotal in driving growth for the business. Prior to this, he spent 16 years at Wavemaker and worked across agencies including TME (Rediffusion Y&R) and Madison Communications.
Kartik Sharma, Group CEO, Omnicom Media Group India said: “Sport and culture are increasingly seen to be significant growth drivers for brands and so we are excited to bring Fuse’s expertise into the market – it further underpins our commitment to create transformational experiences for our clients.”
Echoing Sharma’s sentiment, Rambhia added: “The momentum in sports in India is at an exciting juncture and we’re fully equipped to capitalise on this to drive effective partnerships for brands. Sport has increasingly become a vital part of India’s cultural fabric, and with Fuse, we are strategically positioned to help brands harness the power of this medium to drive deeper connections with audiences across the market.”
The new office officially launches with Shriram Finance and Uni League Cricket as clients and will have a particular focus on supporting brands with strategic planning and activation of effective sports partnerships.
While cricket continues to dominate the market, India’s sports landscape has been further bolstered by the popularity of sports like Kabaddi, Football and Badminton, and the country’s recent performance at the Olympics and Paralympics. India’s sporting ecosystem is currently valued upwards of USD 1.8 Billion, and with continued tech innovation, the rise of OTTs redefining the viewing experience, and immersive experiences taking centre stage, growth is expected to continue at pace. As India evolves into a multi-sport nation, not only is it paving the way for emerging talent across various sports but it is also experiencing heightened brand interest and investment in sports marketing.
The fast-expanding agency network of Fuse is already home to a wealth of sports and entertainment specialists working across strategic markets across the globe. Most recently, Fuse launched in Spain, with Juli Ferre heading the business and in Brazil led by Luiz Fiorese. Fuse’s current international clients include PepsiCo, Nissan and Philips.
Commenting on India office launch, Louise Johnson, Global CEO at Fuse, said: “Fuse’s expansion and launch in India marks yet another critical milestone for us, underscoring our commitment to driving growth for brands through the power of sports and entertainment. With Fuse’s specialist sports marketing expertise combined with Omnicom Media Group’s data and technology offering, we are exceptionally positioned to capitalise on the sports market in India.
Through our extensive network and under the leadership of Jigar we can offer brands the chance to create memorable experiences for their audiences and integrate themselves into the heart of India’s sporting culture.”
Across the pond, Amazon Prime’s docuseries Faceoff: Inside the NHL has been critically well-received and looks to be ticking the boxes for how to get fans on-side with long-form content. Part of a drive in NHL to double down on transparency and human connection – key values for Gen Z – the series focuses on its young stars, their love for the game, and the backstories that drive them. Even more importantly, it benefits from the full backing of the league and its franchises, rather than having to navigate fragmented interest levels (Break Point).
So for the moment, docuseries are here to stay as part of fandom. But to avoid fatigue in long-form sports storytelling, aligning with generational values and winning the backing of all stakeholders will help in capturing and engaging the fans of tomorrow.
