November 26, 2024 • 23 mins
Jonathan Linden, Co-president of Round Room Live, takes listeners behind the scenes of the Formula 1 Exhibition – a groundbreaking immersive experience bringing the high-octane world of F1 racing to fans worldwide.
What happens when one of the world's most exclusive sports creates an exhibition accessible to everyone? Linden reveals how his company recognized a crucial gap in the F1 fan experience. With Grand Prix events scattered across the globe and only 24 race weekends per year, millions of passionate fans have limited opportunities to engage directly with the sport they love.
The F1 Exhibition solves this challenge through meticulous attention to detail, showcasing actual F1 cars, interactive elements, and recently added race simulators that give visitors a taste of just how challenging these vehicles are to drive. "They sort of think it's going to be like a video game and it's extremely challenging," Linden explains, highlighting how the exhibition balances educational content with immersive experiences that capture the essence of being trackside.
Netflix's "Drive to Survive" series emerges as a key inflection point in F1's growth story, particularly in North America. The documentary humanized the sport by introducing viewers to the personalities behind the helmets, transforming what many saw as just cars racing around tracks into compelling human drama.
Most exciting is the upcoming Las Vegas installation opening in spring 2025, which will be housed in the Grand Prix Plaza paddock building where the actual race takes place – creating an unprecedented connection between exhibition and competition venue. Don't miss this fascinating exploration of how modern fandom is evolving through immersive experiences that bring exclusive worlds within reach of every fan.
Recorded Tuesday, November 26th, 2024
Host: Damian Bazadona, CEO & Founder, Situation
Guest: Jonathan Linden, Co-President, Round Room Live, Producer of F1 The Exhibition
Producer: Peter Yagecic, Innovation Advisor, Situation
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Peter Yagecic (00:05):
You're listening to Fandom Unpacked the podcast,
an audio version of our regularlivestream series where we
unpack modern fandom with someof the brightest minds in sports
and entertainment.
I'm producer Peter Yagisic andin today's episode we'll hear a
conversation between our host,damian Bazadana, ceo and founder
of Situation Group, andJonathan Linden, co-president of
Round Room Live producer of F1,the Exhibition.
(00:27):
Buckle up race fans.
Here's Damian and Jonathan.
Damian Bazadona (00:32):
Jonathan, thank you as always.
Jonathan and I go many yearsback and so it's awesome we get
a chance to connect.
Talk to me, jonathan, you don'tmind kicking us off.
Talk to me about Round RoomLive, just to give everyone a
little context of who you guysare, your relationship with F1.
I think that's a kind ofimportant distinction.
You're here as Round Room Live,who has a relationship, a
license or agreement with F1,which is awesome, and the
(00:54):
incredible Formula Oneexhibition that you produced
that I happened to go see inMadrid, which I thought was
incredible.
Just give a little focus aboutthe company and about the
exhibition to be awesome, pleasefor sure, good to be here.
Jonathan Linden (01:05):
thanks for having me.
And so round room live is alive entertainment company where
, uh, as peter said, I'm theco-president, my partner steven
shaw and I we uh spent time bothat a company called cpi and
then live nation, where, whichis obviously the biggest
promoter in the world, and wesaw the vision of some of these
(01:26):
other live entertainmentprojects and where they exist in
the landscape and we sort ofwanted to concentrate on that.
So we rolled out of Live Nationand created Round Room Live,
which features all kinds oftouring live entertainment.
We do a lot of kids and familyshows, like Blippi Live and
(01:46):
Sesame Street Live.
We do a lot of touringexhibitions and experiences.
As you mentioned, the F1exhibition.
We were the North Americanpromoters for Jurassic World the
exhibition.
We do other arena tours, likeNitro Circus, and so we are a
diversified live entertainmentcompany focusing on family
entertainment, sportsentertainment, traveling,
(02:08):
exhibitions and experiences.
And, as you mentioned, ourbiggest exhibition right now is
F1, the exhibition andexperience, and it's something
that we were trying to puttogether for a number of years,
and part of the thesis was thisis a brand that has truly global
appeal.
The grand prixs are held allaround the world.
Uh, it can be a challenge, ifyou're a big fan, to get to a
(02:30):
race because they're not always,uh, near you.
It's become very popular overthe last number of years, and so
that the tickets have becomemore expensive, and so how does
an f1 fan engage with the brandand how do they, how do they
experience it live if they can'tget to a Grand Prix?
And so we created the F1Exhibition and Experience.
It debuted in Madrid, spain,last March, and then it went to
(02:54):
Vienna, austria, and it is nowin London where it's performing
exceptionally well.
We created a second version ofthe show, which is in just
finished a run in Toronto, andjust last week we announced that
we're working with Formula Oneand the Las Vegas Grand Prix to
work with them in Las Vegas,which we're very excited about.
Damian Bazadona (03:16):
Talk to me.
What is it like to be an F1 fan?
I feel like you know, when Iwent to the exhibition, it was
packed I mean, people from allover the world and you could see
it and going through thedifferent, obviously, the
different parts of theexhibition, you have a kind of a
front and rear seat of whatpeople attract to, what they
don't but like what is, whetherit's at a race or an exhibition.
Just, I feel like you canprobably you're in a good
position to embody what.
(03:37):
How would you describe whatit's like to be an F1 fan?
Jonathan Linden (03:40):
Well, I think F1 has been popular for many
years.
There's a lot of motorsportfans in the world.
There's a lot of people thatare fans of speed and fascinated
with cars going fast.
It brings that European tour ofthe F1 exhibition.
We've seen fans that know thedetails and the history for many
decades and hang around theexhibition for two hours plus,
(04:13):
whereas in North America there'sthe more recent fan, and some
of those fans came in throughDrive to Survive, which became
incredibly popular through thepandemic period and has sort of
raised awareness in the UnitedStates.
And so the US has gone from oneGrand Prix in Austin to three
with Austin, miami and now LasVegas.
(04:35):
And so I think a lot of theNorth American fans, as I
describe them, are more recentfans.
They don't know as much of thehistory.
They're attracted to the sportbeing fast, sexy, dynamic, the
place to be, the place to beseen.
Uh and uh are getting more andmore educated and it's it's
building a fandom for f1 that is, is is global and growing.
Damian Bazadona (04:59):
Where can you actually just table set a little
bit on how people canexperience f1?
Like, because we talked alittle about the grand prix,
there's like there's 23, am Iright?
There's 23.
And so if you're 24, 24 soyou're a fan.
So let's just say, all of asudden I become a fan of this.
How do I stay connected?
Where do I watch it?
Jonathan Linden (05:15):
like just to be helpful, just to table seven
out a little bit well assomebody who's a producer and a
promoter of a touring experience, where you want to find a brand
that has global appeal and youcan take it all around the world
, uh, which f1 has proven to beand was part of our original
thesis.
The challenge as a fan is, youknow, the season starts in march
(05:36):
in bahrain and it ends indecember in abu dhabi, and races
are everywhere from uh, chinato can, china, to Canada, to
everywhere in between Monaco,and the challenge is obviously,
these races and the Grands Prixare in different time zones and
(05:57):
it can be a challenge if you'rein one spot.
Sometimes you're watching thesein the middle of the night, and
so, being a fan, that can beexciting.
I'm sort of saying I've got towake up in the middle of the
night or I've got to wake upearly.
Obviously, the Las Vegas racewas at 10 PM in Las Vegas, so it
was 1 AM on the East coast andand 6 AM in London, and so, uh,
(06:18):
there's something sort ofinteresting about you know, I
have to keep strange hours tofollow this amazing sport that
I'm interested in, but it wasone of the features of the
exhibition and experience of howdo fans get an opportunity to
truly enjoy F1, if it's a littletricky, depending on where you
(06:39):
are, to see all the Grands Prixon TV.
Damian Bazadona (06:40):
It's funny.
I see the alignment, a lot ofalignment, with sort of the
European soccer explosion overhere, um, and sort of the same
thing as being more integratedinto the states.
What do you think?
What is it about the netflixseries?
Obviously netflix, you know,putting a spotlight is going to
bring a huge set of eyeballs,but there's a lot of stuff on
netflix that doesn't necessarilystick for growth.
What do you think it?
(07:01):
Why do you think the northamerican growth and why did
netflix series do that wassomething particular.
Do you think it?
Why do you think the NorthAmerican growth and why did
Netflix series do?
That Was something particular.
That you think people attractedpeople more to the sport, yeah,
I mean it's.
Jonathan Linden (07:11):
It's an interesting question and it's
sometimes hard to put yourfinger on it.
I saw a list the other day ofyou know the top 10 things that
were sort of game changers forindividual sports, and on the
list was a drive to breaking F1into the North American market,
and so it was fascinating that adocuseries could make a list of
(07:32):
the top 10 events for majorsports over the last number of
years.
And I think the biggest thingit's obviously Netflix did a
terrific job.
It's a very well done series.
It's compelling, it's dynamic.
Netflix did a terrific job.
It's a very well done series.
It's compelling, it's dynamicand as a consumer you're sort of
gripping content.
But I think a big thing wassimilar to some other sports
people didn't really know thedrivers or the characters, or I
(07:56):
don't think people knewnecessarily who Christian Horner
was or his role at Red Bull.
Maybe they knew he was marriedto one of the Spice Girls, but
the drivers you, you don'tnecessarily.
There was a period of timewhere a lot of the times when
you saw grand prix, the driverswere deep inside the car with a
helmet on, and so you knew theirpersonality a little bit as a
(08:17):
driver, whether they wereaggressive or passive or how
they operated on the track, butthrough drive to survive.
You had an opportunity to meetCarlos Sainz's entire family and
his agent and his manager andwhat he does in his spare time
and what kind of a golfer he is,and so I feel like it raised
the profile of a lot of thedrivers.
(08:39):
And to your question earlier ofwhat are people fans of?
I think more than ever peopleare fans of the sport,
individual teams, but alsoindividual drivers, and I think
Drive to Survive has contributedto a heightened awareness of
who the drivers are.
Damian Bazadona (08:54):
Peter, do you have any questions?
Peter Yagecic (08:57):
Yeah, we do have some questions coming in Hold on
one second.
Let me pull that up.
I was going to share a drive tosurvive testimonial from a fan
who said that I was an F1 fanbefore, but after watching the
series I'm an even bigger fanthan ever before.
So that's just a testament towhat you guys were talking about
.
I do have a question from oneof our attendees about going
(09:18):
back to the exhibition, which,Jonathan, I know is very near
and dear to you, asking how didthe idea for the exhibition come
about?
Who approaches who forsomething like this and, kind of
generally, how long did it taketo come together?
Jonathan Linden (09:33):
if you can speak to any of those points,
it's a great question and,having done a lot of different
exhibitions, from the RollingStones to Nelson Mandela to
Tupac Shakur I mean there'salways a bit of a process of
trying to determine, you know,is the brand interested in this
type of entertainment?
And then, on the other side,does the timing, do the
(09:53):
commercial elements, doeseverything sort of come together
and work out for a fit?
And so in this case, you know,we had met some people who were
affiliated and had worked withF1.
They had seen the RollingStones exhibition and suggested
that you know that there wouldbe an interesting fit.
There were some other peoplethat were already into the
conversation, and so we joinedthem in the discussion and it
(10:19):
took quite a while, right,Because F1 had not done
something like this before.
It's a major global brand, sothey're very precious with who
they work with and how would thebrand be perceived?
Does this extend the brand?
Is it beneficial to them?
And so it took quite a while.
And then, inevitably, you know,we signed a license agreement
(10:40):
in august of 2019 with the hopeof opening in the fall of 2020,
and nothing opened in the fallof 2020, and so it was sort of
became a bit of a labor of loveto get it open in 2023, but you
know, our, our view, as I saidbefore, is if you have a global
brand that has some scarcity ofproduct, you can't get to a lot
(11:02):
of Grands Prix because of howgeographically diverse they are.
This is really, you know, it'san exciting mix to be able to
enjoy the sport in this way.
Peter Yagecic (11:17):
Fandom Unpacked is brought to you by Situation,
an award-winning marketingagency built for live
entertainment that champions thepower of unforgettable shared
experiences around the world.
We offer full marketing andcreative services for
experience-based brands in liveentertainment, attractions,
theater, sports, arts andculture, and more.
Check us out atSituationinteractivecom.
(11:38):
Now back to our Q&A.
Damian Bazadona (11:45):
Where does it go from here?
So, like in terms of when youthink about the growth of the
exhibition, I saw, like you guys, Formula One approved the
addition of a General Motorsteam in 2026.
So it seems like there's moreteam growth.
How does that, when you thinkabout the exhibition, where do
you go with it, Like in terms ofwhat do you think in terms of
growth and how, like, forexample, when a new team comes
on board, does that, how doesthat alter the experience itself
(12:07):
, what you're building?
Jonathan Linden (12:09):
Well, I think it's sort of interesting because
we've done exhibitions andexperiences where at times, they
are historical or they're inrelation to something where the
story has been told and it's amatter of how you reflect that,
whereas F1, the story, to adegree, is being told every year
and every Grand Prix andcertain teams have come alive
(12:31):
over the last little bit,certain teams have fallen off.
There's a new champion everyyear, as it turns out, max max
verstappen's been the championfour years in a row, but it's,
it's, you know they're, they'renot gonna red bull's not gonna
win the constructors this year,and so, uh, it's, it's an
exciting part of it to be ableto reflect, in each version of
(12:52):
the exhibition, in each market,uh, a little bit different
content, a little bit differentelements, both because it's
reflective of f1 and the storybeing told, and also it's it's
from a commercial perspective,helpful because, uh, you know,
the hope and expectation is alot of f1 fans can go multiple
times and you know, damian, youmentioned you went in madrid, if
(13:13):
you were to go in london.
Uh, you know, the cars aredifferent.
There's a lot of key elementsthat have changed, been updated.
You know there's obviouslydrivers have moved around
between the 23 season and the 24season, and so the hope is that
we can regularly have freshcontent and new elements that
(13:33):
compel people to always want tobe seeing the show, whatever
market it's in.
Peter Yagecic (13:38):
Last week you talked to us a little bit about
the simulator that's part of theexhibition.
Can you touch on that a littlebit?
Jonathan Linden (13:45):
You know, there's a heightened expectation
and fandom of a certain type ofexperience
technologically-based, immersive, dynamic and so for an F1 fan,
there's nothing really moreimmersive and experiential than
a race simulator, and so weweren't able to introduce them
until Toronto.
They're in London and it's anamazing part of it because you
(14:06):
get to go through the exhibitionand experience and, if you
choose to, you get into thesimulator.
The seating arrangement issimilar to the way an F1 driver
sits, and so you're almost lyingdown.
The simulators are much moredifficult than most people
anticipate.
They sort of think it's goingto be like a video game and it's
extremely challenging, and sowe think that's a great fit of
(14:30):
that combination of a reallyquality exhibition and
experience where you're gettingeducated really quality
exhibition and experience whereyou're getting educated, you're
understanding a lot more aboutf1 at the same time, as you know
immersive and experientialelements that, uh, keep you
really excited yeah, it's, it'sum.
Damian Bazadona (14:47):
I think you guys actually did a really good
job in the exhibition, because Ibrought my family um, none of
us really have real backgroundwith it and we felt like we left
with a great experience.
And I to me.
For me, personally, it's kindof the speed, the idea of just
the pure force of what'shappening.
It's incredible.
And, by the way, I didn'trealize I was going to ask you
what one of the biggestmisconceptions are, and I would
(15:08):
imagine it's that most people,or a lot of people, think that
they get behind the wheel anddrive it, and you tipped me off
at the point drive it.
Jonathan Linden (15:18):
Um, and and you tip me off of the point there's
20 driver.
What is the number of driversthere are?
There are 10 teams and 20drivers, and so, uh, you know,
obviously, damon, you and I havediscussed that we're both north
american sports fans, and sowhen you talk about how how rare
a club it is to be a startingquarterback on a nfl team, or
how rare it is to as somebodywho grew up in Canada, how rare
(15:38):
it is where everybody's playinghockey to make it to the NHL,
but there's no more exclusiveclub in sports than F1 driver.
There are 10 teams.
Each of them have two drivers.
So at any given moment in time,there are 20 human beings on
earth who can say they're an F1driver, which is a pretty rare
(16:01):
club.
Damian Bazadona (16:02):
Do the teams?
This is a broad question, Isuppose.
Do the teams get along In termsof the league so a new team is
coming on board?
I knew it took, it was not.
I don't think it's easy to kindof get a new team added right.
It seems like F1's got a reallygood thing going and I don't
know just in terms of thedynamics of it between the kind
of the governing body of it, theteams, the leagues, like is it
(16:25):
a kumbaya environment, like wegot something good going, or is
it get?
It seems a little.
Jonathan Linden (16:32):
I think they get along like Jerry Jones and
Robert Kraft, right, they getalong when they're in the same
room and they probably get along.
They just want to beat eachother.
They want their teams to besuccessful on the field of play,
and so F1 is a little differentin the capacity of.
You know, the NFL, for example,manages all of their teams and
(16:54):
the teams fall under a lot ofNFL rules where F1 is really a
separate entity than all of theteams and obviously they have to
operate within the F1 rules.
But, uh, you know, they theyall operate separately and so
it's, it's a unique element tof1.
That's a little bit differentthan the way traditional north
american sports work.
(17:14):
Um, but I, I think it's, it'slike any sport.
There's, uh, there's a mutualrespect and it's it's a it's as
we said, it's a pretty selectand exclusive club, but they all
want to win.
We've gained the benefit of thatwhere, as we started to get
contributions from differentteams, and different teams
decided to contribute andparticipate in the exhibition
(17:38):
experience in different ways.
Some of the other teams sort ofwoke up of all right, if their
car is in there, why isn't oursin there?
If there's content from thatteam, well, we want car is in
there, why isn't ours in there?
And if there's content fromthat team, well, we want to be
in there too, and so to thatdegree, we've gained the benefit
.
Of this sort of competitivespirit goes all the way into
who's being properly reflectedin the exhibition.
Damian Bazadona (18:00):
At its best.
How would you describe being atan F1 race?
Because obviously you modeledthat off to the incredible
exhibition you guys created andmost people, a lot of people on
this call will probably not havea chance to actually go to one
of these races.
You see it from a distance ontelevision, but what is it like
being there?
How would you describe it?
Jonathan Linden (18:18):
I mean, I think there's a reason that it's
become so popular.
It's very exciting.
It's sort of it can beoverwhelming of just how loud it
is and sort of, if you getclose enough, sort of the smell
of the tires and the crowds andhow fanatically the different
teams fans follow each differentteam.
But it's, it's an amazingexperience to see and be part of
(18:40):
.
But you know, as we've said,part of our thesis was there's
only 24 Grand Prix's, that's,that's 24 weekends a year.
And you know, if you live inAtlanta or Cleveland, getting to
Abu Dhabi or Bahrain for theGrand Prix isn't always easy.
You can enjoy it on TV, but howdo you, how do you experience
(19:02):
it?
And I think the other thingthat we gain the benefit of with
the exhibition is, even ifyou've been to a few grand prixs
and even if you had great seats, the cars generally come flying
by and, unless you have apaddock pass to sort of get
closer, the opportunity to comeinto the exhibition and see all
of the different elements andand be on a simulator.
But for a lot of people beingright up close to a modern day
(19:25):
f1 car and and when you're nextto it, it's, it's pretty awesome
the, the detail and the thepaint job and all of the
specifics.
When you're next to it youcan't help but sort of linger
and uh uh and look at all of thedetails of how intricate it is.
Damian Bazadona (19:40):
Peter, I see that we're at about a half hour
in any questions.
Peter Yagecic (19:48):
One more attendee question that I would love to
ask Jonathan.
It says it's moving a littlebit away from F1, but maybe
that's appropriate given thetime.
What new surprising clients arecoming to Roundroom live and
asking, hey, turn us into anexperience Probably under NDA
with a lot of them?
I can't say much, but is thereanything I imagine, given the
success of F1, you got a lot ofthem and can't say much.
But is there anything I imagine, given the success of F1, you
(20:09):
got a lot of people knocking onyour door.
Jonathan Linden (20:11):
Yeah, we do and we're excited about it.
It's, you know, we haven'tannounced the next one yet and
so we have to keep it under ourhat, but it's, it's.
The challenge of working withthe Rolling Stones or working
with F1 is, you know, it's amajor global brand which brings
great brand awareness and appeal.
(20:31):
It can be challenging to get toa license agreement and they're
used to sort of negotiating ina certain way, but certainly
it's been great for Roundroom asa company, for a brand like F1
that is very particular aboutwho they work with and has such
global appeal.
(20:52):
The hope is people are lookingat us like this is a company
that can really be trusted as acustodian of a first-class
global brand.
And the other hope is similarto what Damien said People have
been very happy with theexhibition, they've enjoyed it,
people have come back multipletimes and so the feeling is with
some brands and some of thepeople that have called have
(21:14):
been you know.
They sent people to go see theshow and that's hopefully the
greatest business card is.
People going to see yourproduct and wanting to see if
there's a way they cancollaborate is obviously very
flatter.
Peter Yagecic (21:27):
And remind people the Las Vegas installation of
the exhibition that's comingwhen.
Jonathan Linden (21:34):
That is coming in the spring of 2025.
We haven't announced the exactopening date, but it'll be the
spring of 2025.
And that's particularlyexciting because it's direct
collaboration with Formula Oneand the Las Vegas Grand Prix and
the activation is going to bein the permanent paddock
building, the Grand Prix Plazathat they built in Las Vegas,
(21:56):
and so it's going to be thefirst time where consumers can
come see the exhibition andexperience, but also be in the
building where the race happens,which I think is going to be
exciting for consumers andpeople that watch the race on TV
.
And, again, this year was anincredibly compelling and
exciting race, and so to be ableto experience F1 and enjoy it
(22:19):
and embrace it, but also, asyou're walking in, you can see
all the elements right down tothe track of where the Grand
Prix took place in that market.
Peter Yagecic (22:27):
That's awesome.
Well, congratulations, goodluck with getting that on its
feet.
I can't wait to see it nextsummer when I'm in Vegas.
Thank you very much.
Damian Bazadona (22:34):
I was going to say just congratulations,
jonathan, on your growth, andnot just for F1, but the entire
company.
You and Steve, I just think,watching you guys grow the
company, I know you have highexpectations of yourselves and
the company and the experience.
Jonathan Linden (22:51):
I think that's what differentiates you guys and
all the experiences.
So congrats on the awesomegrowth at NF1.
The good taste and timing thereyou go.
We appreciate you having us andobviously I appreciate the
compliments, and the complimentcoming from Damien, who's a
significant force in the liveentertainment space.
It means a lot.
Damian Bazadona (23:03):
Oh, we recorded that, so I have that now in my
pocket.
Peter Yagecic (23:07):
I'm going to take that.
Thank you, I'll get it to youon a loop, damien?
Damian Bazadona (23:09):
Yeah, peter, you want to take us out.
Thank you.
Peter Yagecic (23:12):
That's going to do it for this episode of Fandom
Unpacked the podcast.
If you liked what you heard,please be sure to leave us a
review on Apple Podcasts.
Find out how to join us livefor an upcoming recording at
SituationLivecom slash fan.
We'll see you next time, Truebelievers.
You're listening to Fandom Unpacked the podcast,
an audio version of our regularlivestream series where we
unpack modern fandom with someof the brightest minds in sports
and entertainment.
I'm producer Peter Yagisic andin today's episode we'll hear a
conversation between our host,damian Bazadana, ceo and founder
of Situation Group, andJonathan Linden, co-president of
Round Room Live producer of F1,the Exhibition.
(00:27):
Buckle up race fans.
Here's Damian and Jonathan.
Damian Bazadona (00:32):
Jonathan, thank you as always.
Jonathan and I go many yearsback and so it's awesome we get
a chance to connect.
Talk to me, jonathan, you don'tmind kicking us off.
Talk to me about Round RoomLive, just to give everyone a
little context of who you guysare, your relationship with F1.
I think that's a kind ofimportant distinction.
You're here as Round Room Live,who has a relationship, a
license or agreement with F1,which is awesome, and the
(00:54):
incredible Formula Oneexhibition that you produced
that I happened to go see inMadrid, which I thought was
incredible.
Just give a little focus aboutthe company and about the
exhibition to be awesome, pleasefor sure, good to be here.
Jonathan Linden (01:05):
thanks for having me.
And so round room live is alive entertainment company where
, uh, as peter said, I'm theco-president, my partner steven
shaw and I we uh spent time bothat a company called cpi and
then live nation, where, whichis obviously the biggest
promoter in the world, and wesaw the vision of some of these
(01:26):
other live entertainmentprojects and where they exist in
the landscape and we sort ofwanted to concentrate on that.
So we rolled out of Live Nationand created Round Room Live,
which features all kinds oftouring live entertainment.
We do a lot of kids and familyshows, like Blippi Live and
(01:46):
Sesame Street Live.
We do a lot of touringexhibitions and experiences.
As you mentioned, the F1exhibition.
We were the North Americanpromoters for Jurassic World the
exhibition.
We do other arena tours, likeNitro Circus, and so we are a
diversified live entertainmentcompany focusing on family
entertainment, sportsentertainment, traveling,
(02:08):
exhibitions and experiences.
And, as you mentioned, ourbiggest exhibition right now is
F1, the exhibition andexperience, and it's something
that we were trying to puttogether for a number of years,
and part of the thesis was thisis a brand that has truly global
appeal.
The grand prixs are held allaround the world.
Uh, it can be a challenge, ifyou're a big fan, to get to a
(02:30):
race because they're not always,uh, near you.
It's become very popular overthe last number of years, and so
that the tickets have becomemore expensive, and so how does
an f1 fan engage with the brandand how do they, how do they
experience it live if they can'tget to a Grand Prix?
And so we created the F1Exhibition and Experience.
It debuted in Madrid, spain,last March, and then it went to
(02:54):
Vienna, austria, and it is nowin London where it's performing
exceptionally well.
We created a second version ofthe show, which is in just
finished a run in Toronto, andjust last week we announced that
we're working with Formula Oneand the Las Vegas Grand Prix to
work with them in Las Vegas,which we're very excited about.
Damian Bazadona (03:16):
Talk to me.
What is it like to be an F1 fan?
I feel like you know, when Iwent to the exhibition, it was
packed I mean, people from allover the world and you could see
it and going through thedifferent, obviously, the
different parts of theexhibition, you have a kind of a
front and rear seat of whatpeople attract to, what they
don't but like what is, whetherit's at a race or an exhibition.
Just, I feel like you canprobably you're in a good
position to embody what.
(03:37):
How would you describe whatit's like to be an F1 fan?
Jonathan Linden (03:40):
Well, I think F1 has been popular for many
years.
There's a lot of motorsportfans in the world.
There's a lot of people thatare fans of speed and fascinated
with cars going fast.
It brings that European tour ofthe F1 exhibition.
We've seen fans that know thedetails and the history for many
decades and hang around theexhibition for two hours plus,
(04:13):
whereas in North America there'sthe more recent fan, and some
of those fans came in throughDrive to Survive, which became
incredibly popular through thepandemic period and has sort of
raised awareness in the UnitedStates.
And so the US has gone from oneGrand Prix in Austin to three
with Austin, miami and now LasVegas.
(04:35):
And so I think a lot of theNorth American fans, as I
describe them, are more recentfans.
They don't know as much of thehistory.
They're attracted to the sportbeing fast, sexy, dynamic, the
place to be, the place to beseen.
Uh and uh are getting more andmore educated and it's it's
building a fandom for f1 that is, is is global and growing.
Damian Bazadona (04:59):
Where can you actually just table set a little
bit on how people canexperience f1?
Like, because we talked alittle about the grand prix,
there's like there's 23, am Iright?
There's 23.
And so if you're 24, 24 soyou're a fan.
So let's just say, all of asudden I become a fan of this.
How do I stay connected?
Where do I watch it?
Jonathan Linden (05:15):
like just to be helpful, just to table seven
out a little bit well assomebody who's a producer and a
promoter of a touring experience, where you want to find a brand
that has global appeal and youcan take it all around the world
, uh, which f1 has proven to beand was part of our original
thesis.
The challenge as a fan is, youknow, the season starts in march
(05:36):
in bahrain and it ends indecember in abu dhabi, and races
are everywhere from uh, chinato can, china, to Canada, to
everywhere in between Monaco,and the challenge is obviously,
these races and the Grands Prixare in different time zones and
(05:57):
it can be a challenge if you'rein one spot.
Sometimes you're watching thesein the middle of the night, and
so, being a fan, that can beexciting.
I'm sort of saying I've got towake up in the middle of the
night or I've got to wake upearly.
Obviously, the Las Vegas racewas at 10 PM in Las Vegas, so it
was 1 AM on the East coast andand 6 AM in London, and so, uh,
(06:18):
there's something sort ofinteresting about you know, I
have to keep strange hours tofollow this amazing sport that
I'm interested in, but it wasone of the features of the
exhibition and experience of howdo fans get an opportunity to
truly enjoy F1, if it's a littletricky, depending on where you
(06:39):
are, to see all the Grands Prixon TV.
Damian Bazadona (06:40):
It's funny.
I see the alignment, a lot ofalignment, with sort of the
European soccer explosion overhere, um, and sort of the same
thing as being more integratedinto the states.
What do you think?
What is it about the netflixseries?
Obviously netflix, you know,putting a spotlight is going to
bring a huge set of eyeballs,but there's a lot of stuff on
netflix that doesn't necessarilystick for growth.
What do you think it?
(07:01):
Why do you think the northamerican growth and why did
netflix series do that wassomething particular.
Do you think it?
Why do you think the NorthAmerican growth and why did
Netflix series do?
That Was something particular.
That you think people attractedpeople more to the sport, yeah,
I mean it's.
Jonathan Linden (07:11):
It's an interesting question and it's
sometimes hard to put yourfinger on it.
I saw a list the other day ofyou know the top 10 things that
were sort of game changers forindividual sports, and on the
list was a drive to breaking F1into the North American market,
and so it was fascinating that adocuseries could make a list of
(07:32):
the top 10 events for majorsports over the last number of
years.
And I think the biggest thingit's obviously Netflix did a
terrific job.
It's a very well done series.
It's compelling, it's dynamic.
Netflix did a terrific job.
It's a very well done series.
It's compelling, it's dynamicand as a consumer you're sort of
gripping content.
But I think a big thing wassimilar to some other sports
people didn't really know thedrivers or the characters, or I
(07:56):
don't think people knewnecessarily who Christian Horner
was or his role at Red Bull.
Maybe they knew he was marriedto one of the Spice Girls, but
the drivers you, you don'tnecessarily.
There was a period of timewhere a lot of the times when
you saw grand prix, the driverswere deep inside the car with a
helmet on, and so you knew theirpersonality a little bit as a
(08:17):
driver, whether they wereaggressive or passive or how
they operated on the track, butthrough drive to survive.
You had an opportunity to meetCarlos Sainz's entire family and
his agent and his manager andwhat he does in his spare time
and what kind of a golfer he is,and so I feel like it raised
the profile of a lot of thedrivers.
(08:39):
And to your question earlier ofwhat are people fans of?
I think more than ever peopleare fans of the sport,
individual teams, but alsoindividual drivers, and I think
Drive to Survive has contributedto a heightened awareness of
who the drivers are.
Damian Bazadona (08:54):
Peter, do you have any questions?
Peter Yagecic (08:57):
Yeah, we do have some questions coming in Hold on
one second.
Let me pull that up.
I was going to share a drive tosurvive testimonial from a fan
who said that I was an F1 fanbefore, but after watching the
series I'm an even bigger fanthan ever before.
So that's just a testament towhat you guys were talking about
.
I do have a question from oneof our attendees about going
(09:18):
back to the exhibition, which,Jonathan, I know is very near
and dear to you, asking how didthe idea for the exhibition come
about?
Who approaches who forsomething like this and, kind of
generally, how long did it taketo come together?
Jonathan Linden (09:33):
if you can speak to any of those points,
it's a great question and,having done a lot of different
exhibitions, from the RollingStones to Nelson Mandela to
Tupac Shakur I mean there'salways a bit of a process of
trying to determine, you know,is the brand interested in this
type of entertainment?
And then, on the other side,does the timing, do the
(09:53):
commercial elements, doeseverything sort of come together
and work out for a fit?
And so in this case, you know,we had met some people who were
affiliated and had worked withF1.
They had seen the RollingStones exhibition and suggested
that you know that there wouldbe an interesting fit.
There were some other peoplethat were already into the
conversation, and so we joinedthem in the discussion and it
(10:19):
took quite a while, right,Because F1 had not done
something like this before.
It's a major global brand, sothey're very precious with who
they work with and how would thebrand be perceived?
Does this extend the brand?
Is it beneficial to them?
And so it took quite a while.
And then, inevitably, you know,we signed a license agreement
(10:40):
in august of 2019 with the hopeof opening in the fall of 2020,
and nothing opened in the fallof 2020, and so it was sort of
became a bit of a labor of loveto get it open in 2023, but you
know, our, our view, as I saidbefore, is if you have a global
brand that has some scarcity ofproduct, you can't get to a lot
(11:02):
of Grands Prix because of howgeographically diverse they are.
This is really, you know, it'san exciting mix to be able to
enjoy the sport in this way.
Peter Yagecic (11:17):
Fandom Unpacked is brought to you by Situation,
an award-winning marketingagency built for live
entertainment that champions thepower of unforgettable shared
experiences around the world.
We offer full marketing andcreative services for
experience-based brands in liveentertainment, attractions,
theater, sports, arts andculture, and more.
Check us out atSituationinteractivecom.
(11:38):
Now back to our Q&A.
Damian Bazadona (11:45):
Where does it go from here?
So, like in terms of when youthink about the growth of the
exhibition, I saw, like you guys, Formula One approved the
addition of a General Motorsteam in 2026.
So it seems like there's moreteam growth.
How does that, when you thinkabout the exhibition, where do
you go with it, Like in terms ofwhat do you think in terms of
growth and how, like, forexample, when a new team comes
on board, does that, how doesthat alter the experience itself
(12:07):
, what you're building?
Jonathan Linden (12:09):
Well, I think it's sort of interesting because
we've done exhibitions andexperiences where at times, they
are historical or they're inrelation to something where the
story has been told and it's amatter of how you reflect that,
whereas F1, the story, to adegree, is being told every year
and every Grand Prix andcertain teams have come alive
(12:31):
over the last little bit,certain teams have fallen off.
There's a new champion everyyear, as it turns out, max max
verstappen's been the championfour years in a row, but it's,
it's, you know they're, they'renot gonna red bull's not gonna
win the constructors this year,and so, uh, it's, it's an
exciting part of it to be ableto reflect, in each version of
(12:52):
the exhibition, in each market,uh, a little bit different
content, a little bit differentelements, both because it's
reflective of f1 and the storybeing told, and also it's it's
from a commercial perspective,helpful because, uh, you know,
the hope and expectation is alot of f1 fans can go multiple
times and you know, damian, youmentioned you went in madrid, if
(13:13):
you were to go in london.
Uh, you know, the cars aredifferent.
There's a lot of key elementsthat have changed, been updated.
You know there's obviouslydrivers have moved around
between the 23 season and the 24season, and so the hope is that
we can regularly have freshcontent and new elements that
(13:33):
compel people to always want tobe seeing the show, whatever
market it's in.
Peter Yagecic (13:38):
Last week you talked to us a little bit about
the simulator that's part of theexhibition.
Can you touch on that a littlebit?
Jonathan Linden (13:45):
You know, there's a heightened expectation
and fandom of a certain type ofexperience
technologically-based, immersive, dynamic and so for an F1 fan,
there's nothing really moreimmersive and experiential than
a race simulator, and so weweren't able to introduce them
until Toronto.
They're in London and it's anamazing part of it because you
(14:06):
get to go through the exhibitionand experience and, if you
choose to, you get into thesimulator.
The seating arrangement issimilar to the way an F1 driver
sits, and so you're almost lyingdown.
The simulators are much moredifficult than most people
anticipate.
They sort of think it's goingto be like a video game and it's
extremely challenging, and sowe think that's a great fit of
(14:30):
that combination of a reallyquality exhibition and
experience where you're gettingeducated really quality
exhibition and experience whereyou're getting educated, you're
understanding a lot more aboutf1 at the same time, as you know
immersive and experientialelements that, uh, keep you
really excited yeah, it's, it'sum.
Damian Bazadona (14:47):
I think you guys actually did a really good
job in the exhibition, because Ibrought my family um, none of
us really have real backgroundwith it and we felt like we left
with a great experience.
And I to me.
For me, personally, it's kindof the speed, the idea of just
the pure force of what'shappening.
It's incredible.
And, by the way, I didn'trealize I was going to ask you
what one of the biggestmisconceptions are, and I would
(15:08):
imagine it's that most people,or a lot of people, think that
they get behind the wheel anddrive it, and you tipped me off
at the point drive it.
Jonathan Linden (15:18):
Um, and and you tip me off of the point there's
20 driver.
What is the number of driversthere are?
There are 10 teams and 20drivers, and so, uh, you know,
obviously, damon, you and I havediscussed that we're both north
american sports fans, and sowhen you talk about how how rare
a club it is to be a startingquarterback on a nfl team, or
how rare it is to as somebodywho grew up in Canada, how rare
(15:38):
it is where everybody's playinghockey to make it to the NHL,
but there's no more exclusiveclub in sports than F1 driver.
There are 10 teams.
Each of them have two drivers.
So at any given moment in time,there are 20 human beings on
earth who can say they're an F1driver, which is a pretty rare
(16:01):
club.
Damian Bazadona (16:02):
Do the teams?
This is a broad question, Isuppose.
Do the teams get along In termsof the league so a new team is
coming on board?
I knew it took, it was not.
I don't think it's easy to kindof get a new team added right.
It seems like F1's got a reallygood thing going and I don't
know just in terms of thedynamics of it between the kind
of the governing body of it, theteams, the leagues, like is it
(16:25):
a kumbaya environment, like wegot something good going, or is
it get?
It seems a little.
Jonathan Linden (16:32):
I think they get along like Jerry Jones and
Robert Kraft, right, they getalong when they're in the same
room and they probably get along.
They just want to beat eachother.
They want their teams to besuccessful on the field of play,
and so F1 is a little differentin the capacity of.
You know, the NFL, for example,manages all of their teams and
(16:54):
the teams fall under a lot ofNFL rules where F1 is really a
separate entity than all of theteams and obviously they have to
operate within the F1 rules.
But, uh, you know, they theyall operate separately and so
it's, it's a unique element tof1.
That's a little bit differentthan the way traditional north
american sports work.
(17:14):
Um, but I, I think it's, it'slike any sport.
There's, uh, there's a mutualrespect and it's it's a it's as
we said, it's a pretty selectand exclusive club, but they all
want to win.
We've gained the benefit of thatwhere, as we started to get
contributions from differentteams, and different teams
decided to contribute andparticipate in the exhibition
(17:38):
experience in different ways.
Some of the other teams sort ofwoke up of all right, if their
car is in there, why isn't oursin there?
If there's content from thatteam, well, we want car is in
there, why isn't ours in there?
And if there's content fromthat team, well, we want to be
in there too, and so to thatdegree, we've gained the benefit
.
Of this sort of competitivespirit goes all the way into
who's being properly reflectedin the exhibition.
Damian Bazadona (18:00):
At its best.
How would you describe being atan F1 race?
Because obviously you modeledthat off to the incredible
exhibition you guys created andmost people, a lot of people on
this call will probably not havea chance to actually go to one
of these races.
You see it from a distance ontelevision, but what is it like
being there?
How would you describe it?
Jonathan Linden (18:18):
I mean, I think there's a reason that it's
become so popular.
It's very exciting.
It's sort of it can beoverwhelming of just how loud it
is and sort of, if you getclose enough, sort of the smell
of the tires and the crowds andhow fanatically the different
teams fans follow each differentteam.
But it's, it's an amazingexperience to see and be part of
(18:40):
.
But you know, as we've said,part of our thesis was there's
only 24 Grand Prix's, that's,that's 24 weekends a year.
And you know, if you live inAtlanta or Cleveland, getting to
Abu Dhabi or Bahrain for theGrand Prix isn't always easy.
You can enjoy it on TV, but howdo you, how do you experience
(19:02):
it?
And I think the other thingthat we gain the benefit of with
the exhibition is, even ifyou've been to a few grand prixs
and even if you had great seats, the cars generally come flying
by and, unless you have apaddock pass to sort of get
closer, the opportunity to comeinto the exhibition and see all
of the different elements andand be on a simulator.
But for a lot of people beingright up close to a modern day
(19:25):
f1 car and and when you're nextto it, it's, it's pretty awesome
the, the detail and the thepaint job and all of the
specifics.
When you're next to it youcan't help but sort of linger
and uh uh and look at all of thedetails of how intricate it is.
Damian Bazadona (19:40):
Peter, I see that we're at about a half hour
in any questions.
Peter Yagecic (19:48):
One more attendee question that I would love to
ask Jonathan.
It says it's moving a littlebit away from F1, but maybe
that's appropriate given thetime.
What new surprising clients arecoming to Roundroom live and
asking, hey, turn us into anexperience Probably under NDA
with a lot of them?
I can't say much, but is thereanything I imagine, given the
success of F1, you got a lot ofthem and can't say much.
But is there anything I imagine, given the success of F1, you
(20:09):
got a lot of people knocking onyour door.
Jonathan Linden (20:11):
Yeah, we do and we're excited about it.
It's, you know, we haven'tannounced the next one yet and
so we have to keep it under ourhat, but it's, it's.
The challenge of working withthe Rolling Stones or working
with F1 is, you know, it's amajor global brand which brings
great brand awareness and appeal.
(20:31):
It can be challenging to get toa license agreement and they're
used to sort of negotiating ina certain way, but certainly
it's been great for Roundroom asa company, for a brand like F1
that is very particular aboutwho they work with and has such
global appeal.
(20:52):
The hope is people are lookingat us like this is a company
that can really be trusted as acustodian of a first-class
global brand.
And the other hope is similarto what Damien said People have
been very happy with theexhibition, they've enjoyed it,
people have come back multipletimes and so the feeling is with
some brands and some of thepeople that have called have
(21:14):
been you know.
They sent people to go see theshow and that's hopefully the
greatest business card is.
People going to see yourproduct and wanting to see if
there's a way they cancollaborate is obviously very
flatter.
Peter Yagecic (21:27):
And remind people the Las Vegas installation of
the exhibition that's comingwhen.
Jonathan Linden (21:34):
That is coming in the spring of 2025.
We haven't announced the exactopening date, but it'll be the
spring of 2025.
And that's particularlyexciting because it's direct
collaboration with Formula Oneand the Las Vegas Grand Prix and
the activation is going to bein the permanent paddock
building, the Grand Prix Plazathat they built in Las Vegas,
(21:56):
and so it's going to be thefirst time where consumers can
come see the exhibition andexperience, but also be in the
building where the race happens,which I think is going to be
exciting for consumers andpeople that watch the race on TV
.
And, again, this year was anincredibly compelling and
exciting race, and so to be ableto experience F1 and enjoy it
(22:19):
and embrace it, but also, asyou're walking in, you can see
all the elements right down tothe track of where the Grand
Prix took place in that market.
Peter Yagecic (22:27):
That's awesome.
Well, congratulations, goodluck with getting that on its
feet.
I can't wait to see it nextsummer when I'm in Vegas.
Thank you very much.
Damian Bazadona (22:34):
I was going to say just congratulations,
jonathan, on your growth, andnot just for F1, but the entire
company.
You and Steve, I just think,watching you guys grow the
company, I know you have highexpectations of yourselves and
the company and the experience.
Jonathan Linden (22:51):
I think that's what differentiates you guys and
all the experiences.
So congrats on the awesomegrowth at NF1.
The good taste and timing thereyou go.
We appreciate you having us andobviously I appreciate the
compliments, and the complimentcoming from Damien, who's a
significant force in the liveentertainment space.
It means a lot.
Damian Bazadona (23:03):
Oh, we recorded that, so I have that now in my
pocket.
Peter Yagecic (23:07):
I'm going to take that.
Thank you, I'll get it to youon a loop, damien?
Damian Bazadona (23:09):
Yeah, peter, you want to take us out.
Thank you.
Peter Yagecic (23:12):
That's going to do it for this episode of Fandom
Unpacked the podcast.
If you liked what you heard,please be sure to leave us a
review on Apple Podcasts.
Find out how to join us livefor an upcoming recording at
SituationLivecom slash fan.
We'll see you next time, Truebelievers.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Ridiculous History
History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by iHeartRadio.