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Can you compress 100 years of fandom-building into 10 through creator experiences and connections? Or does genuine connection just take time, no matter what you do?

Football clubs build fandom over centuries, either through geography, family ties or generational loyalty. Grandparents take kids to matches, who take their kids. The club becomes part of identity.

Formula E has existed for 10 years, competing with F1 and other right-holders for attention. Heck, they are competing against Netflix as well.

The problem is that fandom can’t be manufactured quickly. Paying creators for experiences, getting viral videos, and hoping audiences convert to actual fans.

Formula E is trying something different, and it’s a building block to the whole process. These tactics work better as part of the whole machine, not a magic pill. Even the Sidemen took 10+ years to build their fanbase. The depth of connection requires time.

They're building one brick at a time, using creators to create the access and backstory that football clubs, tennis, baseball, and others have naturally built over decades.

Formula E is betting on some of the world's biggest content creators as critical to its growth strategy, aiming to reach new audiences and bring new fans to the sport.

This year's evolution will be from individual creator content to a competitive event designed for YouTube-native audiences.

This will build awareness and access without the instant fandom. But it's faster than waiting for generational loyalty to develop organically.

So, how is Formula E hoping to build this fandom?

The Evo Sessions with MrBeast and other creators created reach. The creators showed up and made content for their channels afterwards.

If this were only about reach, it delivered on that front. But reach ≠ fandom.

What’s changing for Jeddah is a change to a team competition format with two teams.

Senor Frogs (TheBurntChip, Behzinga, WillNE, Arthur TV, Izzy Hammond) vs QuickStars (led by Vikkstar).

Each creator has their own connection to motorsport and racing, with a deep passion for motor racing. The BurntChip, in particular, has participated in three 24-hour go-kart races at Buckmore Park.

The selection of the creators is more aligned compared to last year’s event.

Miami was "come experience this." Jeddah is "complete, there are stakes, we're broadcasting live. Naturally, that competition creates stakes with creators who already have that attention.

So the shift is creator content about Formula E to Formula E co-creating with creators.

Although what this doesn’t solve yet:

Will people who watch EVO Sessions actually watch the Jeddah E-Prix or future races? Or just the creator event? We have seen this with DTS as well; many casual fans I speak to don’t watch the race all the time.

Naturally, there will be a fall-off from the EVO sessions to the live event.

Formula E partnered with Arcade Media.- the production company behind the Sidemen - to co-create the format.

This matters more than the creator names.

They bring format design expertise:

They helped design the team duel format. Sidemen built their brand on group competition (Sidemen Charity Match, Side+ content, Inside reality show). Arcade knows how to make that work.

Production execution: Handling the live broadcast on Formula E's YouTube. Building the broadcast for YouTube, building content designed for YouTube from the start.

Creator curation: They are all in the same connected ecosystem. Vikkstar, Behzinga, WillNE, Arthur TV, and TheBurntChip—their audiences overlap. When they all promote simultaneously, it becomes a shared cultural moment.

Why Arcade specifically:

The Sidemen built their fanbase over 10+ years. Their audience watches Sidemen Sundays religiously, buys merch, and attends events. They have long-term fandom.

Arcade knows the inner workings of The Sidemen Entertainment to create that.

Formula E's CMO Ellie Norman: the collaboration creates "authentic, raw, and engaging" experience that's "more than just a marketing campaign."

Again, what this still doesn't solve is one question:

Does the Sidemen audience become Formula E fans? Or do they just watch content featuring the Sidemen?

The Sidemen took 10 years to build a genuine fandom; borrowing that, through one event, is a building block.

Relying on creators for audience growth is no new strategy now; they hold the most attention. But it’s no longer simple enough to just pay them and then wait for the views to come in.

Without ongoing creator stake for example - equity, revenue share, multi-year commitment—it’s tough to build fandom.

For a right-holder like Baller League, where creators have ongoing stakes. The creators who own teams and are successful = team success. Again, Baller League is still in its infancy, but proving to be effective.

The creators promote organically because it’s their asset.

Formula E(somewhere between) Multi-year evolution (Miami 2025 → Jeddah 2026 → 2027?). Production partnership with Arcade suggests an ongoing relationship.

But do Vikkstar and Behzinga care if people watch the Jeddah E-Prix? Or just if their EVO video gets views?

Probably the latter. But Formula E's bet is that if the experience is good enough, creators become organic advocates even without equity.

Can exceptional experience replace ownership as the engagement driver?

Arcade's involvement suggests this could become ongoing, based on their leadership team and the moves they make. They never think short-term.

If Formula E works with Arcade year-over-year, that's closer to stakeholder than activation.

Why this might not work for sustained fandom:

Creators make content about what gets them views. Unless Formula E racing itself becomes content their audience wants, this remains a cool experience they participated in.

I like the approach and risks that Formula E is taking; it might not work. But they won’t go down without trying it. I hope these EVO sessions do build the right awareness.

They will create the right access and backstory faster than waiting for generations to start watching. This won’t be the magic pill, but it will be the building block to depth of connection.

~

If your experience isn't genuinely thrilling, creator activations won't help.

And even if it is, this still takes time. You can lay bricks faster, but you can't skip the foundation.

Creator activations build awareness faster than organic growth. They compress backstory and access, and help create a story over time.

But they don't create genuine fandom. That requires time, consistency, and reasons for people to care beyond the moment.

Each EVO Session is one brick that Formula E is building, but it’s tough to build a cathedral in a weekend.