Formula 1 has long benefited from the popularity of the Drive to Survive series, which has brought a surge of new fans, particularly in the United States.
M-Sport Ford team principal Richard Millener had a similar goal in mind when he allowed cameras behind the scenes of his team this season.
The main difference is that More than Machine, the rally documentary, has been made available for free on YouTube, unlike Drive to Survive, which is exclusive to the paid Netflix streaming service.
Millener told RallyJournal.com that showcasing the series on YouTube was a carefully considered decision.
“Initially, on the Netflix conversation. I think everybody jumps to Netflix and says this should be on a Netflix-type production. There’s an interesting argument there because everyone has this perception that Netflix seems to be free in most people’s minds. In reality. Netflix is a paywall – so you have to be a little bit careful how you approach this” Millener said.
“It’s the same argument I have with people who tell me that rallying isn’t visible enough on television, but they all watch Formula 1, and 95% of them are paying for Formula 1 as well. So there’s an interesting concept here that I actually think YouTube is a very interesting and good platform for this. It’s free. I think the potential fan reach on YouTube is far beyond a paid subscription,” Millener explained.
According to Millener, YouTube has been the right platform for More than Machine for several reasons.
“We’ve had a lot of support from the people who helped produce this, including sponsors like SafetyCulture, who have been very open about allowing the series to be distributed on linear channels. This gives each country the opportunity to air the series on either their paid platforms, pay TV, or Freeview TV.”
Millener doesn’t rule out the possibility that a rally-focused series could one day find its way onto Netflix. In addition to Drive to Survive, sports like golf have also received Netflix treatments.
“The goal was to grow the fan base. Where we go from here in terms of development – yes, you could put it on Netflix, but I would argue Drive to Survive is maybe the most prominent and successful example of this. Full Swing, the golf series, didn’t come across quite as well for me. I’m a big fan of golf, but it felt a little fake. The Ryder Cup scene in the last two episodes was real, but the rest of it I didn’t enjoy as much. The tennis series has struggled a little, too.”
“There are a lot of programmes out there doing the same thing. That’s why I feel we have to tell real stories rather than trying to create drama or worrying too much about putting it on a platform like Netflix.” Millener stated.
“I think we have good enough stories; we just need to find the best way to advertise and promote them,” he added.
