Pool of Top Influencer Talent to Present Formula E Races Live in UK with YouTube Partnership
Biggest content creators to feature on presentation team as part of ground-breaking new digital offering for season five
‘Working with some of the biggest names and influencers allows us to grow our existing audience, which is primarily a younger and more digitally-engaged demographic – servicing their needs and viewing habits.’
Ali Russell
Media & Business Development Director at Formula E
LONDON, UK (October 31, 2018) – The ABB FIA Formula E Championship is set to introduce a first-of-its-kind digital product for this coming season – working together with some of the biggest content creators to reach new and younger audiences as part of an innovative partnership with YouTube.
Starting with a supplementary streaming service in the UK – with the ambition of expanding viewing opportunities in other territories and eligible markets – Formula E will show every E-Prix live on YouTube with guest appearances and influencer involvement throughout the course of the season.
The on-screen talent will host each show from a bespoke studio set-up at YouTube Space London, with regular anchor Laurence McKenna sitting alongside rotating content creators such as KSI – who has almost 20 million subscribers and will form part of the presentation team for the SAUDIA Ad Diriyah E-Prix on December 15.
In a bid to continue opening-up the fully-electric series to a younger demographic and making the sport more accessible than ever before, Formula E is once again breaking the mould and re-inventing the way fans follow and consume sports – in line with the viewing habits of a digitally driven audience.
The list of alternating content creators will be revealed across official Formula E digital platforms in advance of each race and chosen from a pool of top influencer talent in collaboration with Goat – the leading global influencer marketing agency.
Building on the successful partnership with Goat – who were appointed ahead of last season – the ABB FIA Formula E Championship recently received recognition at the highly-acclaimed International Performance Marketing Awards, collecting the accolade for ‘Best Influencer Marketing Campaign’.
Ali Russell, Media & Business Development Director at Formula E, said: “We always try to push the boundaries of what’s possible at the ABB FIA Formula E Championship – not only developing innovations with the cars on track, but also with our experience and offering to fans trackside, at home and on the move. Coming together with like-minded companies such as YouTube to provide new ways to watch electric racing is what separates Formula E from other sporting properties and rights-holders. Working in tandem with some of the biggest names and influencers allows us to grow our existing audience, which is primarily a younger and more digitally-engaged demographic. This partnership truly fits their needs and viewing habits.”
Tomos Grace, YouTube’s Head of Sport, EMEA, said: “Seeing YouTube creators centre stage for such an important sporting event is an exciting moment for YouTube. We look forward to working with Formula E on this first-of-its-kind project over the coming months.”
Working with KSI and his management OP Talent for the season-opener and first episode in Ad Diriyah, JJ said: “I can’t wait for the first race, where it’s going to be great to see YouTube disrupt the traditional sports broadcasters.”
Laurence McKenna, renowned content creator and show host, said: “I’m excited to be part of this ground-breaking and innovative project. I believe Formula E is leading the way in how sport sets the agenda, with this generation and the next, and YouTube is the place to do that. As rights-holders they’re doing the smart thing by allowing creators and their audiences to decide how we consume the sport. Their faith in the platform and community is important.”
Arron Shepherd, Co-Founder of The Goat Agency, said: “Goat is delighted to be involved in this pioneering project. After a successful season four, where together with Formula E we picked-up ‘Influencer Campaign of the Year’ at the International Performance Marketing Awards, it’s a privilege to be able to work with such an innovative brand on a truly ground-breaking initiative. Additionally, to have YouTube as a partner in this alongside a stable of the top UK influencers will allow Formula E to engage with a new generation of fans like never before, bringing the traditional broadcast model into the 21st century.”
To get the latest news on the ABB FIA Formula E Championship, visit – www.FIAFormulaE.com
About the ABB FIA Formula E Championship:
The ABB FIA Formula E Championship is the electric street racing series and the world’s first fully-electric international single-seater category in motorsport. Formula E brings intense and unpredictable racing to some of the world’s most recognisable and progressive cities – including Hong Kong, Rome, Paris, Berlin and New York.
Formula E enters a new and exciting era in season five with the competitive debut of the next generation car. The striking new model boasts a distinctive futuristic design and demonstrates a clear step-up in performance with almost double the energy storage capacity – allowing teams and drivers to complete a full race distance at higher speeds without needing to swap cars. The Gen2 car is a testament to the ongoing advancements in battery and electric vehicle technology in the space of only four years.
The fifth edition of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship will see 11 teams and 22 drivers tackle a variety of challenging circuits in 12 cities – across five continents – in a bid to be crowned champion. Formula E will be making its debut in the Middle East on December 15 for the season-opener in Ad Diriyah, with the championship once again coming to a close in New York City over the course of two days on July 13 & 14.
The concept of Formula E is to act as a platform to test and develop road-relevant technologies, helping refine the design and functionality of components and infrastructure – actively speeding-up the transition and uptake of electric vehicles on a global scale.
Formula E is continuing to attract some of the leading names and renowned brands in motorsport and the automotive industry. For this season, Formula E has nine manufacturers on its roster – including Nissan – taking over the existing entry from Renault – and BMW linking-up with Andretti. This number is set to rise further still, with the highly-anticipated inclusion of Mercedes-Benz and Porsche in season six.
Follow Formula E:
www.FIAFormulaE.com
Facebook – www.facebook.com/FIAFormulaE
Instagram – www.instagram.com/FIAFormulaE
Twitter (@FIAFormulaE #ABBFormulaE) – www.twitter.com/FIAFormulaE
YouTube – www.youtube.com/user/FIAFormulaE
About ABB:
ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a pioneering technology leader in power grids, electrification products, industrial automation and robotics and motion, serving customers in utilities, industry and transport & infrastructure globally. Continuing a history of innovation spanning more than 130 years, ABB today is writing the future of industrial digitalisation with two clear value propositions: bringing electricity from any power plant to any plug and automating industries from natural resources to finished products. As title partner of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship, the fully-electric international FIA motorsport class, ABB is pushing the boundaries of e-mobility to contribute to a sustainable future. ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 147,000 employees. www.abb.com
Sources: ABB FIA Formula E Championship PR