Red Bull dominance dims F1's social media allure
According to a new study, Formula 1 is experiencing a downturn in social media engagement amid Red Bull's unrelenting dominance in 2023, underscoring that close championship battles drive digital growth.
After years of exponential growth, Formula 1 is experiencing a downturn in social media engagement amid Red Bull's unrelenting dominance in 2023.
According to a new study by analytics firm Buzz Radar, F1 social media mentions, new followers, and reach declined markedly in January-May 2023 compared to the same period last year.
The numbers behind F1's social slump
Per the report, F1 social media mentions fell 70.2% to 1.83 million, new followers dropped 46.29% to 489,370, and total reach declined 64.1% to 22.16 billion in 2023's opening months.
Buzz Radar correlates this reversal with Red Bull's supremacy, having won 15 of the last 16 Grands Prix dating back to 2021.
The research shows F1's social traction grows in seasons with close championship battles and wanes during periods of single-team control.
The Exceptions Behind The Rule
The two outlier years were 2016, featuring an epic Rosberg vs Hamilton title fight, and 2021, where Verstappen denied Hamilton in Abu Dhabi's final lap.
Those two seasons generated F1's greatest social media growth despite hosting the fewest events among major sports.
This underscores racing's primacy in driving digital engagement.
Still, F1's 80% social media expansion from 2016-2022 exceeded all sports aside from IPL cricket and UEFA Champions League football.
F1 counters with engagement metrics
However, F1 disputes Buzz Radar's methodology and conclusions. According to F1, its official social channels have grown at nearly 8X the 2023 rate Buzz Radar calculated.
F1 also reports a 4% increase in active engagements like likes, comments, and shares versus 2022. Engagements are on pace to surpass 1.5 billion this season.
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