Formula Drift signs video deal, makes rules changes

LONG BEACH, Calif. (March 18, 2014) — Formula Drift Holdings L.L.C. has inked a two-year deal making video content provider Dailymotion its exclusive partner for domestic live streaming of the Formula Drift racing series.

The series also said it has changed a number of sporting rules to enhance the competition.

Dailymotion will provide coverage—known as the Driftstream—as well as all Video-On-Demand (VOD) content produced by Formula Drift, wich is in its 11th season of competition.

The Driftstream is, according to Long Beach-based Formula Drift, considered to be the most widely viewed motor sports live stream in the world, boasting over 1.5 million unique IP's with an average viewing time of 38 minutes. Formula Drift also logs hundreds of hours of VOD content per year including “Formula Drift Insider,” which will now stream live exclusively on Dailymotion.

‘This deal really cements not only the value of Formula Drift content but shows that the direction of Web-based content as a platform for revenue generation is a real and viable phenomenon,' said Ryan Sage, vice president and  co-founder of Formula Drift. ‘We feel that we have always been on the forefront of new trends and creating this partnership with an industry leader like Dailymotion is an amazing milestone for us.”

Formula Drift said the racing series will be promoted widely to the Dailymotion audience, which currently generates 25 million monthly unique visitors in the U.S. and 120 million globally, based on comScore 2013 data.

“Dailymotion couldn't be more excited to be the official online video platform for Formula Drift. Over the last few seasons, we've seen the league's passionate fan base grow steadily as well as their demand for video,” said Martin Rogard, COO of Dailymotion. “Bringing this thrilling sport to our platform and leveraging our reach as well as live stream capabilities marks an optimal partnership for us.”

Dailymotion uses what it called the most advanced technology for both users and content creators, providing HD video in a fast, easy-to-use online service that offers “a high quality user experience across all digital devices—computers, mobile devices, connected TVs and tablets—via one of the most powerful video players on the market.”

The company said it provides free access to live content such as cultural events, sport competitions around the world or breaking news as it happens, and allows its users to watch free or on-demand movies, series or creative and exclusive programs from an international catalogue of tens of millions of videos.

Dailymotion is available in 18 languages and 35 localized versions featuring local home pages and local content.

Formula Drift also announced that it is deepening its “commitment to making competition the most exciting in motor sports” by enacting “sweeping” changes to its sporting regulations.

Series promoters said changes have been made in the following areas:

• Pro championship and qualifying points structure;
• Pro championship license retention;
• Protests in competition;
• Qualifying format and criteria points allocation;
• General judging criteria for qualifying and head-to-head competition; and
• Use of replays in competition.

“We are excited to start off our eleventh season with the motif of, ‘Dawn of a New Decade,' and with that comes changes to the competition that we feel will enhance the show by making it more thrilling, while keeping the flow consistent and in-line with what we consider to be the most electrifying motor sport on the planet,” Mr. Sage said.

A comprehensive list of the changes can be found on the Formula Drift website.

The 2014 Formula D season begins with Round 1, the Streets of Long Beach April 4-5.