After the unprecedented drama that unfolded at the end of the 2021 Formula One campaign, it is now entirely possible that the high-octane motorsport will become one of the most popular pastimes around the world. Indeed, F1 is set to rival the Premier League, NFL, and IPL going forward as far as viewing numbers go, and astonishingly, estimates suggest that as many as a billion people will watch the 2023 season.
That extraordinary final lap of the 2021 title race in full 😮#AbuDhabiGP 🇦🇪 #F1 pic.twitter.com/kknTMDfpAF
— Formula 1 (@F1) December 12, 2021
In short, it has been a meteoric rise to fame for the sport that, in many ways, has been unexpected given how one-sided the competition has been during the V6 hybrid era. You can comfortably say that Netflix has been if you will, the driving force behind the surge in popularity after their hit series Drive to Survive surpassed the 50 million mark in terms of streams, and that number is expected to rise to 100 million over the next 18 months.
So, with all the exponential growth forecast for the sport of F1, what does that mean for gaming? The short answer is a lot, but let’s go back to the performance of F1’s flagship game in the charts during the last 12 months, to begin with.
Crucially, even before Max Verstappen sensationally and perhaps even controversially beat Lewis Hamilton to the world championship during the last lap of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the F1 gaming franchise was neck and neck with FIFA in terms of sales. It’s a point worth considering when you consider the bounce that games get after something extraordinary happens that draws in an international audience. Besides that, there is a global conversation about the sport that centers on right from wrong after the last lap shenanigans in the desert, which, in other words, is transcending Formula One.
We really are witnessing a once forgotten about sport going viral in real-time, which suggests that the market may now finally be open for a rival to Electronic Arts’ flagship F1 game. Needless to say, watch out for that development in 2022 in terms of an announcement of intent.
It’s time to start your F1® story – F1® 2021 is OFFICIALLY HERE!
Pick up your helmet, put on your driving gloves and celebrate with #F12021game‘s launch trailer
Buy F1 2021 here: https://t.co/ZxmmGU0wqK pic.twitter.com/6r0TCpwglu
— Formula 1® Game (@Formula1game) July 16, 2021
We’re also bound to see a significant boom in F1 online casino games, which were mildly popular in the past. The truth is that historically; they struggled to make an impact with online casino goers because of two crucial problems.
First off, slot games like Formula X and Multiplier Mayhem lacked any real competitive bonus and when you did win, the payouts were slow. However, now that the spotlight is on this breathtaking motorsport, bonuses are likely to be far more enticing to attract F1’s new captive audience and as for a more timely payout which, in fairness, was an industry-wide issue, improvements have already been made. Indeed, here is a link to Casinotopsonline.com to the top online casinos with the fastest payouts as proof. Basically, instant deposits and withdrawal payouts with only a single click of a button are very much a reality now as far as online casinos go which means in essence, we should see a host of new sign-ups.
These are just a few examples of how the landscape of the gaming world is set to transform thanks to the Formula One revolution taking place. Only time will tell if the change will be permanent or fleeting.