Tubi will offer an alternate broadcast for select Formula One races this year, with social media creators leading the coverage.
Tubi first announced an agreement with Apple to air alternate broadcasts for select races in February, but only recently revealed that the broadcasts will be available for the Miami Grand Prix in early May, the Austin Grand Prix in late October, and the Las Vegas Grand Prix in late November.
Unlike Apple TV, Tubi is a free streaming service that does not require a subscription.
The broadcasts will be co-hosted by YouTubers Michelle Khare and Jeremiah Burton. Khare created the YouTube documentary series Challenge Accepted, which features physical challenges, including an attempt at the NFL Scouting Combine. Burton is the founder of the automotive YouTube channel BigTime.
Former driver Scott Mansell, better known for his motorsports channel Driver61, will serve as the analyst for the broadcasts.
Tubi says the broadcasts, which will be produced by Live Digital Entertainment and be called The Fast Lane, will feature “culture-forward commentary tailored to how younger audiences consume live sports.”
The announcement comes at an interesting time for Formula One broadcasts in the United States. The racing circuit is in its first year of a media rights agreement with Apple, replacing ESPN. But the races are not totally exclusive to Apple. In addition to the three Tubi altcasts, the Canadian Grand Prix will air on Netflix, while one additional race will air over the air in Spanish on Univision.
The YouTubers featured in these Tubi broadcasts are clearly an attempt by F1 to target younger fans. That strategy might have been more effective if the races had been on YouTube rather than Tubi. While Tubi is a free streaming service, it is not particularly known for targeting younger audiences in the same way YouTube is.
Even so, Formula One is another sports property navigating the complex American media rights picture. The money is in exclusive rights deals with streaming services, but that requires giving up reach. Simulcasts and altcasts on other platforms might work in the short term, but it is unclear if that approach makes sense long term.
Apple’s Friday Night Baseball games were once free but have since moved behind the Apple paywall. For now, though, Formula One fans have some interesting options to watch races that don’t involve subscribing to Apple TV.
About Manny Soloway
Manny Soloway is a Iowa based writer focusing on TV ratings. He is also the founder of the TV Media Blog substack.