Carey: MotoGP must find its own path, not copy Drive to Survive
Liberty Media director Chase Carey says MotoGP cannot simply replicate the Netflix formula that transformed Formula 1's global audience.
Chase Carey, director of Liberty Media, has cautioned against MotoGP attempting to directly replicate the success Formula 1 found with Netflix's Drive to Survive, arguing the motorcycle series needs its own strategy for growth.
Carey made the comments at the Autosport Business Exchange in New York, as Liberty continues to shape its approach to MotoGP following its purchase of an 84% stake in Dorna Sports, now rebranded as MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group, in July.
Liberty took control of Formula 1 in January 2017, and two years later backed the launch of Drive to Survive, a documentary series widely credited with introducing the sport to a new generation of fans and accelerating during the pandemic lockdowns that began shortly after its second season aired.
Carey said F1's push to build a bigger platform for its personalities, and give fans more ways to engage beyond race weekends themselves, had shaped that strategy. He noted that the United States is now the biggest YouTube market for the sport, which he pointed to as evidence of how deeply fans are connecting with Formula 1 outside the live broadcast.
"Drive to Survive has become a centerpiece in the digital efforts," Carey said, adding that it remains "an incredibly important, valuable franchise" for Formula 1.
He was less convinced that the same blueprint would translate neatly to MotoGP, pointing out that while the two series share some commercial similarities as global franchises, the riders and the spectacle of motorcycle racing carry their own identity. He described MotoGP competitors as appearing to ride lying almost flat against the tarmac, a visual he suggested sets the sport apart from Formula 1.
"You can't just cookie-cutter [the approach]," Carey said, stressing that work on a growth strategy for MotoGP is still in its early stages.
He extended that scepticism to the wider trend of sports attempting to copy Drive to Survive's formula, citing golf's Full Swing and tennis's Break Point as examples of shows that followed in its wake without matching its impact. Carey likened the phenomenon to American Idol, saying that format's success at Fox was never truly repeated by the imitators that followed.
Carey also pointed to Formula 1's partnership with Apple and the F1 feature film as examples of opportunities built around the sport's own strengths rather than copied from elsewhere, suggesting a MotoGP movie would not necessarily be the right move for the series. He said MotoGP would instead need to identify its own personalities and digital opportunities rather than attempt to reproduce what has worked for Formula 1.
Liberty's ambitions for MotoGP include diversifying a championship currently dominated by Spanish and Italian riders, who account for 11 of the top 12 in this year's standings, and expanding the series' footprint in the United States, according to Yahoo Sports.
No timeline was given for when a firmer strategy for the series might emerge, with Carey indicating that MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group is still developing the approach it will take to growing the championship's global audience.