The “Netflix Effect": How The Industry Changes due to Sports Docuseries
Drive to Survive, Netflix’s behind-the-scenes documentary on Formula 1, changed viewership of the sport as we know it. Netflix’s intense, dramatic episodes dove into the relationships between drivers and team, offering new viewers a behind-the-scenes look into the dynamics of Formula 1. People began watching the races because Netflix gave viewers the chance to learn the drivers’ personalities and pick favorites. Due to this dramatic shift in viewership, two more races have been added to the US in the 2023 season with extended contracts for years to come.
This “Netflix Effect” was noticed by both Netflix and the long-time fans of Formula 1 ushering in new shows like Break Point and Full Swing. Break Point follows both the underdogs and the world-ranked champions of tennis as they experience epic victories and losses. The dramatic production that gives people a new lens on which to view tennis. Viewers become invested into the psychological hardship tennis players must endure. Following the drama of certain players such as Nick Kyrigos who is the self-proclaimed “bad boy of tennis” or the astonishing rise to fame of underdog Ons Jabeur leads to people becoming invested in the sport.
From a personal perspective, I’ve never cared for tennis, but after watching the docu-series, I’ve become emotionally invested. Tracking my favorites’ stats and checking in on how they did in matches. This show has even pushed me to attend tennis tournaments and plan future trips to attend the Cincinnati and US Opens.
Full Swing, Netflix’s newer release, is another docudrama focusing on the personal lives of golfers and their successes and failures during the tour. In a similar manner as the other series, people began to engage with golf tournaments whether that means watching online, attending in person, or following certain golfers on social media after watching the show. Whatever method people choose, the effect is most certainly felt by the PGA.
Each show has brought increased viewerships and brand awareness to their respective leagues. Formula 1’s show has led to increased viewership of races, younger viewers, increased ticket sales especially in the US, and more sponsors from the United States. Conversely, tennis’ shift was more notably seen through social media and sponsorships. The show's stars felt a shift as their Instagram’s followings rose significantly with star players like Tatlor Fritz seeing a 13.9 percent increase in followers and Maria Sakkari experiencing a 10.3 percent increase with the release of the show. There will be a season 2 which will continue to follow players and potentially garner more viewership and fan engagement.
Compared to tennis, golf was a huge success story experiencing an increase of up to 5 percent in total audience delivery for the PGA tour with an even bigger jump in viewership for the international markets which reached an increase of up to 21 percent. The percentages don't lie since 63 percent of “full swing” viewers began tuning into the PGA tour just two months after the TV show’s debut and 42 percent of these viewers consistently watch golf after watching Full Swing.
With Netflix renewing both Full Swing and Break Point for a season 2, it is an exciting time to see what will happen to these sports in the future in regards to viewership and sponsors. Will they experience the same dramatic shift as Formula 1? Netflix has also released multiple newsports docu-series which will hopefully have the same effect on these sports with lower viewership including sports like wrestling and women’s soccer. It will be interesting to see what will happen in their industries after the release.