Lewis Hamilton

Credits- Imago

Like almost all industries, F1 too has seen a rise in content creation over the years. There are various social media accounts promoting the sport, even though they don’t have any direct link to the organization. Owners of F1, Liberty Media, however, don’t appreciate this and are sending legal notices to accounts that use the word ‘F1’. This whole ordeal has also led to an old Lewis Hamilton video resurfacing, where the Briton describes how short-sighted the sport is.

In this 2017 video, Hamilton mentioned how other leagues like the NBA or the NFL were okay with fans resharing videos, or posting content that wasn’t legally theirs.

But when Hamilton posted a picture or a clip from F1, the FIA would send him legal notices asking him to take it down. He said,

“I’m hoping that they’ll change that rule and allow social media, for all of us. Social media obviously is an incredible platform for the world to communicate with and for the sport to be able to grow. That’s a super easy free tool for the sport to engage with other people.” 

Hamilton made this statement just months after Liberty Media’s takeover, and it seems like the American owners of the sport do not want to give in to the power social media has. Reportedly, they deem it necessary because they don’t want people to make money off the F1 brand.

However, by sending ‘cease or desist’ letters to content creators, they run the risk of reducing engagement with the fans, which could lead to a decrease in the sport’s popularity.

Liberty Media blocking unauthorized monetization

Liberty Media spent upwards of $4 billion, to own F1 and everything that came with it. This meant no one could benefit from using the term ‘F1’ or associate themselves with it, without permission.

The commercial rights gave the American company power to monetize the sport. But it was for themselves only.

That is why creators on Instagram, TikTok, and X are now having to change their approach. The idea is to stop all F1 creators from making money, which is why the primary targets are business accounts.

What many feel Liberty Media is failing to notice is that the revenue is motivating these creators to make more content on F1, which promotes the sport by bringing in new fans. The owners don’t have to pay money out of their pockets for this marketing, but it seems as though Liberty Media doesn’t want that to be a reason to let this continue.