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Netflix's F1: Drive to Survive saw a 30% drop in viewership within the first week of the release of their latest season, as per the latest numbers from Netflix.
The Netflix show has been instrumental in promoting F1 in the US, but has seen a decline over the years. The show had 2.9 million viewers in the first three days of the sixth season being released (on February 23rd), which was 30% lower than the previous season.
F1 journalist Dave Nelson shared the numbers on X (formerly Twitter):
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Drive to Survive has been extremely popular with fans new to the sport. The amusing storylines, hair-raising writing and cinematic shots of the races have attracted several new watchers.
But as the show has progressed with newer seasons, the overall ratings have dropped. Season 1, for example, was rated 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, but the latest one has been rated only 60%.
The production quality of Drive to Survive has also changed since 2019. Many fans now dislike the show for portraying allegedly fake rivalries between drivers, ostensibly in a bid to boost the viewership. It has also been noticed by many that the statements made by drivers are cut and edited to make them sound more dramatic.
Some fans have also claimed that the show isn't as exciting to watch if one has thoroughly watched the races in the previous season.
How has Drive to Survive impacted the growth of the F1 fanbase?
While the Netflix show might currently be in a slump of sorts, Drive to Survive has been influential in creating a new fanbase for the sport. One of the biggest achievements that F1 has had with the release of the show is that it has gained popularity in the US.
Earlier, the American audience was largely interested in NASCAR and similar racing series. But with Drive to Survive, there has been a spike in F1 fans from the country. This has also led to the introduction of two other US Grands Prix - Miami and Las Vegas. The US is now the only country on the F1 calendar to host three different races in a season.
After the release of the sixth season earlier this month, the preparations for the seventh season for 2025 are already underway. Netflix's crew was present in Bahrain during the final day of the pre-season testing.
The latest season covers the journey of the 2023 F1 season, where Red Bull and Max Verstappen made history by winning the championship with arguably the largest lead in the history of the sport.
