Chase Carey
Analyst · Pivotal Research. Please go ahead
Thank you, Mark. While it’s still early in 2019, we feel good about the momentum of the business and believe we are beginning to take advantage of the foundation we built the last two years. As noted before, we evaluate our business on an annual basis, as variations in the quarterly race calendar make year-on-year comparisons difficult. In the first quarter of 2019, we had two races versus one a year ago. Nonetheless, we were pleased with our first quarter results and we are on target with our goals for the year. On the track, we are four races into the season. The results on the track so far have not quite delivered the drama or surprises hoped, with Mercedes, for the first time even, finishing 1-2 in all four races. However, it is early in the season and we believe Ferrari and Red Bull have shown the potential to take Mercedes on and the competition in the midfield is tighter than ever, with six teams battling each other week-to-week. And the rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas for the top spot has the potential for some interesting storylines. A new dynamic introduced this season is the point for the fastest lap if that driver finishes in the Top 10. It’s been well-received by fans and created some new excitement. This extra point is the reason Bottas leads Hamilton by one point season-to-date. In spite of races that did not deliver hope for on-track drama, our TV audience through four races is up 3% and our attendance is up 6%. In addition, we continue to drive strong growth on digital platforms. For example, on social media, our video views year-to-date increased 55% and minutes watched increased 83% from a year ago. That being said, we know we have to make our racing better and one of our top priorities continues to be improving the competition, action, and unpredictability of our sport on the track. We’re increasingly enthusiastic about the changes planned for the next two years in regulations, car design, tracks, and other areas. This weekend, we hold our first European race of the season in Barcelona. And while we still have 17 races to go in this year, much of our energy and focus is on future years. We’re in the process of finalizing our 2020 race calendar. We have agreements in principle on two renewals and are actively engaged on three other renewals. In addition, we’ve already announced our new race in Hanoi and construction has begun on the track and facilities. It will be a street course that is one of the most unique and challenging racetracks in the world with 22 corners and a couple of long straightaways, a design with which we have been intimately involved. I was in Hanoi a few weeks ago and the excitement was palpable. They marked a 12-month countdown to the event, 13-time Grand Prix winner, David Coulthard and Red Bull simulator driver, Jake Dennis performed car runs while DJ Armen Van Buren provided the soundtrack. This event also marked the official launch of ticketing, with 5,565 tickets being made available to represent the length of this 5,565-meter circuit. In addition to Hanoi, we also have an agreement in principle to add another new circuit to our calendar in 2020. We’ve not finalized the number of races in 2020, but currently expect it to be 21, the same as 2019. Obviously, the math means that we will not be able to renew all our current races. We value our partnership with our existing promoters. However, we believe it is important for our fans and the growth of our sport and business that we both add exciting new locations and manage a limited level of churn. We’re in the fortunate position of having more demand than supply, but recognize we need to manage that dynamic in a thoughtful manner. The factors we consider in deciding on a race include the quality of the track for great racing and the location is one that captures the world’s imagination; the level of fan and broader support and enthusiasm in the host city and country; the historic importance and future potential of the track and race; the global balance of our schedule; and a number of other factors. We clearly have demand for more than 21 races in 2020 and do expect that number of races in a year will increase slightly after 2020. However, we want to make sure we’re maximizing the opportunities for the sports and fans, not rush to decisions, and we do believe the limited expansion of the calendar and churn are important for creating a fresh and exciting dynamic for our fans and for our ongoing growth. Regarding our other primary revenue streams, we recently signed distribution deals with NBC in the Middle East/North Africa region, DAZN in Japan, Sky Germany, and Poland’s Eleven Sports. This completed our global coverage for 2019 in time for the first race of the season. In sponsorship, we announced partnerships with Puma and Liqui Moly, the latter of which will have a trackside presence at 11 Grand Prix. We have designed innovative new partnerships to appeal to both Formula 1 aficionados and those not familiar with Formula 1. We announced a global auction collaboration with Sotheby’s, which will feature collector cars and memorabilia, and formed the Middle East’s first ever major international collector car auction. To focus on a wider audience, we are partnering with Westbrook Studios to create unique content across multiple digital platform formats with top celebrities to align with the 2020 season. We already deputed the premier episode of Will Smith’s The Bucket List, which has garnered over 28 million views on Facebook. We’re also focused on fan engagement in many other forms. Formula 1 held our 1,000th race in Shanghai in April, along with our first fan festival of the year, sponsored by Heineken. As part of the festival, there was a live car run, with Formula 2 rising star Guanyu Zhou, driving a Renault powered car and renowned stunt driver, Jessica Hawkins behind the wheel of a Sauber C30. Our next fan festival will take place in Chicago just prior to the Montreal Race on June 9th and we will announce the additional details shortly. The Netflix show Drive to Survive has been well-received both by existing fans and those not familiar with Formula 1. It told the compelling stories behind our teams and drivers, and made Guenther Steiner a household name. Fans, both current and new, are even more invested this year as they see how Daniel Ricardo fairs at Renault, watch the season unfold for two legacy teams, Williams and McLaren, and will keep an eye on the ascent of Charles Leclerc, who has already captured the fan’s imagination and already won Driver of the Day twice this season. Netflix has begun to film the first races of the current season and we’re constructively talking with all the teams, including Ferrari and Mercedes, to produce Season 2 of the show. The Formula 1 TV over-the-top product had its full launch this year and we’ve been pleased with the response. Unfortunately, we had a few technical issues, mainly on the occasion of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, along the way as we work to provide the best viewing experience. We’re diligently testing and improving the product constantly as we evaluate content and distribution opportunities. We kicked off the third installment of the Formula 1 New Balance Esports Series in April. This season will be extended to include more racing and the prize money has more than doubled to $500,000. We’ve again partnered with New Balance, Codemasters, Gfinity, and Fanatec and new in 2019, we will bring F1 Esports to China for the first time through our partnership with JSN Telesport. The potential within Esports is exciting as a commercial opportunity and as a way for us to engage with the next generation of motor sport fans. The Formula 2 Championship started on a high, with exciting events in Bahrain and Azerbaijan and a number of young talents, who are attracting wider and diverse audience, like Mick Schumacher, the son of the seven-time Formula 1 champion Michael, the Chinese driver Guanyu Zhou, and the first female driver in the category, Tatiana Calderon. This weekend, in Barcelona, there will be the debut of the new Formula 3 Championship, which will complete the racing ladder to Formula 1. If you’re becoming an F1 fan, we’ll encourage you to check out the action at F2 and F3 as well. We met with the teams and the governing body before the Bahrain Grand Prix and continued our discussions on a new agreement that addresses cost structures, revenue distribution, regulations, and governance. As I mentioned before, there are a lot of details to be agreed upon and I’m positive about the progress we’ve made as we look toward the 2021 season. When the timing is right and we have details to announce, we’ll do so. The outlook for 2019 remains positive and our previous investments across the business are paying off. We remain firm in our commitment to growing this business and creating value for the long-term for the teams, our partners, Formula 1, and our shareholders. And I’ll turn the call back over to Greg.