'Significant changes' coming in F1 broadcasting - Brown

McLaren executive director Zak Brown has revealed that Liberty Media are planning 'significant changes' to the way that Formula One is broadcasted to viewers as the American owners of the sport continue to try and bring the sport into the digital age.

The previous ownership of Bernie Ecclestone has been criticised, even from Liberty Media themselves, for allowing F1 to fall behind other sports in terms of how it is marketed to fans, particularly digitally.

One of the main targets of Liberty is to improve and evolve F1 so that it is on par with other sports in their digital output. Brown has revealed the changes that were presented to team bosses by Sean Bratches, F1's commercial head.

"Before Christmas Sean Bratches presented the new F1 commercial strategy to us, the teams," Brown told jamesallenonf1.com.

"There is a huge emphasis on digital, as we know, but last year was about testing things out.

"For this year there are products in place, like a new F1 App, OTT platforms (Over The Top/streaming) and they have brought in David Hill, one of the great TV sports innovators, to oversee the graphics package and the way the race is televised.

"You'll see significant changes there on the broadcast, on the graphics and the storytelling."

Brown went on to claim that Liberty are also looking to increase fan engagement and try to engage a new generation of Formula One fans.

"Then on-event we'll see more fan engagement, building on last year and there will be new media properties to help fans get closer to the teams.

"I think the big impacts of 2018 will be on the media side, showing F1 in a way that it's never been shown before. It will give us a younger and bigger audience and they will be more engaged."