feature-image

Reuters

feature-image

Reuters

The 2010s shaped up to be one of the most bitter-sweet decades of all time for Formula One amid drastic changes to the regulations and eventually, the ownership itself too. The hybrid era [2014-now] started off with massive criticisms pouring in from the entire racing fraternity for scraping the V8 engines of F1 cars.

Terrell Owens holding Dude Wipes XL

And while the think-tank of F1 hoped that the changes would lead to much competitive battles for the championship, the reality turned out to be quite the opposite. Mercedes were the biggest gainers of the regulation change, as the title fights became more straightforward. The lack of the element of surprise and exhilaration led to a substantial drop in viewership.

Watch What’s Trending Now!

ADVERTISEMENT

More trouble due to the hybrid era

Years went by and the sport continued to tumble and by 2016, it almost looked like F1 might soon meet its end. However, then arrived the saviors, Liberty Media, who took full control of the top-tier motorsport series from Bernie Ecclestone and began their work on bringing it back to where it belongs – The pinnacle of motorsport.

article-image

Getty

Of course, their work did not receive much appreciation at the beginning, but Liberty Media continued to gamble, especially with F1 having nothing to lose at that point. Finally, the mass media company made the move of giving F1 a life on social media. And boy did it bolster the sport’s fame to a whole new level.

ADVERTISEMENT

Now, here they stand, as the largest sports and entertainment group in the world.

ADVERTISEMENT

Watch Story: Biggest Crashes From 2020 Featuring Leclerc, Vettel & Grosjean

Liberty Media reaches new heights following F1 glory

ADVERTISEMENT

Forbes acknowledged that Liberty Media currently own properties worth $17.2 billion and have managed to see a 32% increase in revenue over the year 2021.

ADVERTISEMENT

Interestingly, F1 isn’t the only sport that they own stakes in. Along with F1, Liberty Media also own properties like the Baseball team Atlanta Braves, Drone Racing League, and Indy outfit, Meyer Shank Racing. But, there is no denying that most of the revenue has arrived from Formula One.

What’s more, the fame of the sport is persistently on the rise with more new and exciting races scheduled this year, including the one in Miami. So, how much bigger is F1 going to grow in the coming years? We’ll know in time.

ADVERTISEMENT

Read More: Why do F1 Drivers Train Their Necks?

Share this with a friend:

Link Copied!

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Written by

author-image

Rohit Kumar

1,915 Articles

Rohit Kumar is an F1 author at EssentiallySports. He has been an ardent follower of the racing series since 2007, with his love for the sport coinciding with his love for Kimi Raikkonen. He is also an ardent follower of Sebastian Vettel and Aston Martin Racing. With his favorite track being Hockenheim and his favorite turn being Eau Rouge (Spa, Belgium), Rohit is a strong advocate for bringing back the pre-turbo-hybrid era V10 engines and their screams. Apart from being an author, Rohit is also a trained tennis player, having qualified for national tournaments. He has been a part of the Estilio Academy for over a decade.

Know more

ADVERTISEMENT