Formula E’s strategy includes open broadcasting

Formula E co-founder Alberto Longo creates competition roadmap with EFE ahead of start of 12th season. “We’re feeling great momentum,” he says. 420 million fans boost the Spanish market. Spanish team, Kiro Cupra. The first race in Spain with Spanish driver Pepe Marti took place at Madrid’s Jarama circuit, where the economic impact is estimated at 80 million people.

Alberto Longo says with clear philosophy that the competition is growing at “double digits”. Participants will have access to the heart of the competition “for a 20 euro ticket” and will maximize their reach to the general public by betting on free-to-air television. In Spain, we have concluded a power transmission contract with RTVE.

Question: The 12th season of Formula E begins this Saturday in Brazil. At what point do you rate the championship?

A: We’re seeing really great momentum. The second season of the documentary Formula E: DRIVER has been released on Amazon. We recently announced that Mahindra will continue to be the manufacturer until at least 2030. This will ensure coverage for six manufacturers until 2030. I can’t say more than that, but there will be several more manufacturers coming next year. They just announced their growth rates for last season. We’re seen in 192 countries, with over 560 million viewers and 420 million fans worldwide…double-digit growth compared to last year.

We have confirmed that Porsche has purchased a second license in Formula E and will have two different teams. This is unprecedented in the automotive world. Red Bull did it in the F1 era, but they are not a car manufacturer. We have great momentum in the championship. We are extremely proud of our accomplishments and take great responsibility for what lies ahead as we continue to grow.

Q: Amid this growth, you have outlined your roadmap with the Spanish market. And this season means before and after. The Cupra Kilo team’s first race in Spain, driven by Pepe Marti, took place in Jarama, Madrid. Was it a priority on your to-do list?

A: Absolutely. Imagine the desire that we, as two Spanish founders, had to become a bit of a prophet in this country. After racing on four continents, being able to race locally was a priority from the beginning. For some reason it was not possible before, but I had to wait until everything was in place, as it happened in reality. As in other cities around the world, we will have a big impact in Spain.

Q: This is your first race in Spain and not on a city circuit, which is the usual setting for Formula E. They are betting on Jarama, which had already hosted the 2024 pre-season test, as the damage made it impossible to hold the event in Valencia. Was it an impulse to prevent the arrival of the faith in Spain?

A: Literally. That’s exactly what happened. As with Valencia, we arrived in Jarama unlucky. When I left Madrid, most of the team’s general directors called me and told me that we could hold a race in Jarama. We told them that we race in city centers and that’s not in our DNA, but they responded that it looks cool and is very well adapted to our category to put on a great event. Moreover, everyone wants to go to Madrid and Spain is a very important market for our entire ecosystem, manufacturers and sponsors… And that was music to my ears.

The circuit’s general director, Ignacio Fernández, and the race’s president, Carmelo Sanz de Barros, are good friends. I spoke to them and there was a perfect fit. At the request of all parties involved, we have never concluded a contract so quickly.

According to an independent investigation, we expect a return of 80 million euros for the city of Madrid. This is average for other cities of similar size to Madrid.

Q: Being able to convince a driver like Pepe Marti to leave F2, the prelude to F1, and make his debut in Formula E is a testament to your strength in the championship and your strength in the Spanish market. What was this process like?

A: The important thing is that the Formula E grid is made up of top-class drivers. Furthermore, Formula E does not require drivers to pay money to race, which is unfortunately the case in most car championships. We are the fastest growing championship in the world of motorsport, with double-digit growth in spectator and participant numbers. What Pepe did was call 10 or 12 of his friends who he had raced with all his life and tell them about Formula E, and I’m sure they convinced him themselves. I had nothing to do with his signature (laughs). However, we are proud that Pepe is in Formula E and that this new talent has decided to join our category.

Q: The Spanish market has increased. The agreement to broadcast competitions on RTVE changes the paradigm of sports betting on commercial television. Why did you choose public broadcasting?

A: That was my goal from day one. Since we started creating Formula E in 2010, we knew that for the first 15 years we needed to focus on making our product accessible to people, rather than making it accessible to commercial television. We have been inundated with offers from large companies seeking exclusive rights to us, but we have turned them down because they do not have direct access to our home.

Formula E’s absolute priority is to reach the whole world. That people can see you for free. You can see this in our contracts with the BBC, ITV in the UK, ProSieben in Germany… We chose to join this line despite the lack of commercial television revenue. That’s a clear strategy for us and we’ll stick to that until at least Season 15 and work towards Season 12.

We want to see 60 or 70 million people per race, and right now it’s 35 to 40 people per race. When we reach 60-70 years old, we obviously start thinking that we need to monetize. Because we have partners and a board of directors who obviously care about making money at some point.

Q: There is global analysis showing that young people are consuming fewer and fewer sports. And this accessibility he mentioned is the key to reaching them…

A: Accessibility was important to us. And even more so in the exclusive sport of motorsport, where you can only enter certain places with certain passes. Going to the stand costs 400 euros…absolutely outrageous. And we are a social and family-friendly event. Our events are virtually free. People come to enjoy a great day. The 45-minute race features 150 overtakes and sees top artists perform on the track. An audience of 80,000 people gathered in Mexico to see Morat perform.

We provide entertainment and provide access to everything. A 20 euro ticket will take you behind the scenes to a very special garage in F1. For us, this “paddock” is a free access area and depending on the time you can enter the garage and enjoy that part as well. It’s easy to access as there is an entrance fee and everything is accessible.

Q: Formula E has already conducted two tests to give women a chance in motorsport. What are your thoughts on medium- to long-term promotions these days?

A: We have to do this so that five-, six-, or seven-year-old girls notice these girls and think of them as their heroines and want to follow the path they have marked. Having 14 girls in the official Formula E car has a purpose. because? Because the real problem is that out of every 100 people who start motorsport, 99 are boys. Without equality at the bottom, it will be impossible for talented people to reach the top.

Once you get to 50 or 60 out of 100, you’ll see how that talent arrives. I, unlike others, am not one of those who say that women cannot be successful in this sport. That’s a lie. If he has the same dedication, the same opportunities, the same training, the same professionalism that he has had for 20 years, I have full confidence that he can get there. There are no physical problems. Physicists train.