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Bottom Lin Up Front: Race of Champions reached over 100 million viewers across 100+ countries by engineering every decision around television first- from parallel track format to cross-discipline driver matchups to free-to-air distribution strategy

Most motorsport events adapt their existing format for television coverage. Race of Champions did the opposite.

Fredrik Johnsson, ROC's President and a former motorsport journalist, started with the broadcast problem and designed the racing around it.

When you think about it, this approach should be taken by more properties, but changing tradition feels uncomfortable.

The problem he identified in 1989: traditional motorsport is fundamentally terrible for spectators and cameras. Circuit racing spreads cars across miles of track, giving viewers fragmented glimpses at best.

Not exactly gripping television.

At the Nürburgring in 1989, ROC introduced parallel track racing with a cross-over bridge. Johnsson's team marketed it as "the first ever car race" to implement the format—positioning ROC as the innovator.

Every camera angle captures both competitors simultaneously. No wondering who's ahead. Just head-to-head action with immediate winners and losers.

As Johnsson explained: "Rally sport was extremely difficult for spectators: hours in traffic, then walking several kilometers to the desired section—and then the cars came by individually and you had no idea who was in the lead."

The parallel track eliminated that entirely. Short, intense heats producing winners and losers every few minutes. Natural TV programming segments with built-in climactic moments.

Then they moved to stadiums.

Beginning with Paris's Stade de France in 2004, ROC pioneered stadium-based motorsport. Wembley Stadium. Beijing's "Bird's Nest." Miami's Marlins Park. Sydney's Accor Stadium.

Because if you're going to reinvent motorsport for television, why not do it in venues that guarantee every seat has a complete view?

The broadcast benefit: tens of thousands can see the complete race from start to finish. That translates to fewer camera cuts, continuous action in frame, no coverage dead zones.

ROC solved the visibility problem by putting the entire track in one stadium bowl.

The format creates programming structure. Group stages ensure viewers see plenty of action from every driver, maximises that star exposure. Knockout rounds where mistakes prove terminal create high-stakes drama.

Everything fits within predictable three-hour broadcast windows with natural commercial break opportunities. Convenient for broadcasters and intentional by design.

Mexico 2019 generated 1,805 hours of television exposure across 23 global broadcasters from just two days of competition.

The knockout tournament structure borrowed proven broadcast formats.

Tennis. March Madness. YouTube shows. Formats that television audiences already understand and find compelling. ROC adapted viewing behaviours in motorsport to fit existing ones.

Which sounds obvious when you say it out loud, but it’s still a challenge that most motorsport properties haven't figured out yet.

Now, before we look at how ROC solved the driver lineup problem, it's time for the news...

ROC positioned itself as answering motorsport's ultimate question: "Who is the fastest driver on Earth?"

Not a bad hook for a marketing campaign. Also happens to be the exact debate that keeps motorsport fans arguing in pubs at 2am.

By bringing together champions from different disciplines in identical cars, ROC appeals to multiple fanbases simultaneously. F1 fans in Europe, NASCAR fans in America, rally fans globally—all have reasons to watch.

The driver lineup demonstrates this precisely.

Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel from F1. Sébastien Loeb and Sébastien Ogier from WRC. Kyle and Kurt Busch from NASCAR. Juan Pablo Montoya from IndyCar. Valentino Rossi from MotoGP.

Each name brings their existing fanbase to the broadcast audience. The combined reach exceeds any single discipline's viewership.

As Vettel explained: "All the drivers who have the honour to participate in ROC fall in love with the event, because it reminds us about why we first started racing; pure competition and of course with the identical cars there are no excuses."

Translation: no arguments about who had the better car. Just driving.

The Nation vs Nation format added patriotic motivation.

Introduced in 1999 as "the first motor sport event for teams based on nationality," the ROC Nations Cup created emotional investment beyond individual results.

Because humans are tribal creatures who will support basically anything if you put their flag on it.

Team Germany's dominance created a compelling dynasty narrative. Eight total titles. Six consecutive victories from 2007-2012 with the Schumacher-Vettel partnership.

That's the kind of winning streak that makes everyone else want to watch them finally lose.

When Mick Schumacher later partnered with Vettel, the generational storyline provided rich material. In Sydney 2025, they displayed a "Keep Fighting Michael - We Miss You" banner, generating media coverage independent of race results.

Sports broadcasting loves a good emotional narrative. ROC understood this.

The varied car lineup created multiple storylines within single broadcasts.

Drivers might dominate in buggies but struggle in touring cars. Cars swapped between heats provide visual variety and unpredictable outcomes.

Unpredictability is what actually keeps people watching sport, rather than the pretend drama that others will try to manufacture.

Rather than managing broadcast distribution internally, ROC partnered with SPORTFIVE in a multi-year exclusive global media rights agreement starting 2022.

One partnership with access to 315+ broadcast partners.

SPORTFIVE manages 250+ sporting events annually, providing network reach, production capabilities, and content distribution expertise that would take ROC years to build independently.

Distribution offerings include live broadcasts, tape-delayed programming, and highlights packages across TV and OTT platforms, with consumption opportunities across different markets and time zones.

But the distribution strategy's most revealing aspect is free-to-air prioritisation.

Johnsson's philosophy became explicit in the Australia deal: "We had discussions with all the main broadcasters in Australia, but decided to accept Network 10's offer, including over six hours of live free-to-air national coverage, ensuring we reach the largest possible audience for this historic event."

Free-to-air over potentially higher-paying subscription services. Maximum audience reach in new markets rather than maximizing short-term broadcast fees.

This is the bit where most properties make the wrong choice. The subscription broadcaster waves money around, and suddenly your property is behind a paywall that 90% of casual viewers won't cross.

Sweden's SVT public television and Australia's Channel 10 both provided multi-hour live free-to-air coverage, exposing ROC to mainstream audiences who wouldn't access subscription sports channels.

Regional broadcaster partnerships created sustainable distribution.

Confirmed partnerships include Sky Sports (UK/Ireland), MAVTV/RACER Network (USA), SuperSport (South Africa), plus YouTube distribution for select Asian markets.

This diversified portfolio of 23 global broadcasters across 100+ markets creates resilient distribution not dependent on any single partnership.

The viewership metrics justify broadcaster investment. Official data from Mexico 2019 showed over 100 million viewers across 100+ countries with 500 million media impressions over seven years.

The advertising equivalency value was $69 million USD from a two-day event. That return compares favourably to season-long championships, which require broadcaster commitment across multiple months.

Target demographics also appeal to premium advertisers: average age 32, 70% university educated, characterised as educated professionals with influence and spending power.

Which is marketing speak for "people who actually buy things advertised during sports broadcasts."

ROC adapts driver selection, venue choice, and promotional narratives to each geographic market's unique motorsport culture.

Most properties announce their international expansion by entering a new market with the same product they sell everywhere else. Doesn’t work in all settings.

Johnsson articulated this explicitly for Miami 2017.

"For the first event in the U.S., we obviously wanted to invite more U.S. and Latin American drivers because even the biggest Formula One stars are not that well known in that market. You've got a number of exceptional drivers in the Verizon IndyCar Series currently, and I think four of them are Miami or South Florida residents."

Miami featured drivers relevant to American audiences. Montoya won the individual championship, a perfect storyline for the US media.

This seems painfully obvious when stated plainly.

Regional qualifiers created local heroes.

Bangkok 2012 added ROC Asia qualifier with Thai driver Nattavude Charoensukawattana earning his spot. Beijing 2009 created ROC China competition won by Chinese driver Dong He Bin. Sydney 2025 featured Australian Supercars champions Jamie Whincup, Will Brown, Chaz Mostert, and Brodie Kostecki.

Whincup emphasized the local appeal: "I'm thrilled to be part of the ROC driver line up again in 2025, especially with the event being hosted in Sydney... representing Australian motorsport on home soil now that ROC comes to Australia for the first time makes it even more special."

Each market got drivers their local audiences actually recognized and cared about.

Iconic venues created prestige narratives.

Wembley Stadium positioned ROC as the "Theatre of Dreams" for British motorsport fans. Beijing National Stadium leveraged Olympic prestige for Asian expansion. Arctic Circle Sweden emphasized extreme conditions with the first carbon-neutral ROC event.

The venue itself became marketing content. People will write articles about your event if you race cars on a frozen sea. Turns out novelty still works.

Content strategy extended beyond live events.

ROC maintained year-round engagement through eROC esports platform, "On The Line" documentary on Motorsport.tv, and social media activations across Facebook (188,000+ followers), Instagram, Twitter, YouTube.

Johnsson explained: "ROC has increasingly become a media property, successfully promoting its partners and host market... From globally-distributed broadcast productions to its ongoing content creation."

The compound effect: format built for television, cross-discipline drivers bringing multiple fanbases, SPORTFIVE's network providing distribution scale, market-specific adaptation creating local relevance.

Measurable impact: 900,000+ live spectators over 37 years, $69 million advertising equivalency from a two-day event, proven ability to secure premium free-to-air broadcast partnerships in new markets from Miami to Sydney.

Adam Cush, Director of Sport Production at Paramount Australia, captured the broadcaster perspective: "Race Of Champions is a landmark event that showcases the true spirit of motorsport, where skill, versatility, and sheer speed are put to the ultimate test."

That's broadcaster speak for "this actually works for television."

For emerging properties trying to expand internationally:

Start with a format design that serves television, not tradition. ROC's parallel track innovation solved motorsport's fundamental broadcast problem. What's your sport's equivalent barrier to compelling television coverage?

Design around solving that first, then worry about everything else. Most properties do this backwards.

For rights holders negotiating broadcast deals:

Free-to-air is strategic audience building. ROC chose Channel 10's free-to-air offer over higher-paying subscription alternatives specifically to maximise reach in a new market.

Short-term revenue sacrifice for long-term audience development and subsequent negotiating position. The subscription money looks attractive until you realise you've trapped your property behind a paywall that prevents the audience growth you need for future negotiations.

For partnership directors at multi-market properties:

Market-specific driver selection is specific to ROC; it can’t be replicated in each property. ROC succeeded in Miami because they featured Montoya and the Busch brothers, not because they brought Michael Schumacher to a market that might not know who he is.

Your international stars matter in their markets. They don't automatically matter everywhere. Adjust accordingly.

For commercial teams at established properties:

Distribution partnerships like SPORTFIVE provide network scale you can't build internally without years of investment. ROC accessed 315+ broadcast partners through one agreement.

That's the difference between managing 23 individual broadcaster relationships and managing one partnership that handles all of them.

ROC's success relies on specific advantages not every property can replicate. A two-day format is easier to sell to broadcasters than a season-long championship. Exhibition racing without points standings creates flexibility in driver recruitment that competitive series can't match.

The free-to-air strategy works for a property building audience in new markets. Established properties with existing viewership face different economics.

But the underlying approach applies universally: understand what makes compelling television in your discipline, design the format around that reality, choose distribution partners who provide scale, adapt locally rather than assuming one product works globally.

Johnsson started as a journalist covering motorsport. He understood what made boring television because he'd tried to make stories from it. That perspective informed every subsequent decision.

Sometimes the best commercial strategy is just paying attention to what actually works for the medium you're trying to succeed in.