The Formula E experiment to test its true popularity

This weekend's Formula E season finale in London is an important one for the all-electric series, with its true popularity in the United Kingdom and Ireland to be discovered. 

In an exclusive interview with RacingNews365, Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds addressed the sport's experiment for the London Season 10 championship-deciding finale of returning to free-to-air television. 

For the first time, FE made the switch to being behind a paywall this season, a call which was met with mixed responses. 

Some understood the move to TNT Sports (owned by Warner Bros. Discovery), whilst others criticised the growing championship's decision. A pressing issue for many was the cost, which worked out at an average of £30 per month for most for a subscription.

In FE's case, being approached by a pay provider to put the sport behind a paywall is a huge sign of how far the series has come, considering it was previously thrown around by free-to-air channels. 

"We're a growing sport, and we do need reach," Dodds exclusively told RacingNews365. 

"So reach is very important to us. However, what I said at the time was, in any growing sport, there comes a point where you start to become attractive to a pay provider. 

"They believe that having you behind the paywall is a way of attracting new people to pay for a subscription. 

"So in some respects, you have to feel proud when you're being asked by a pay provider who wants to invest in the championship to put you behind a paywall, because what that really means is that they think you can move the dial, that you're a needle mover. 

"What I would say about it is I think the production quality has been exceptional."

Paywall 'pros and cons'

Moving to behind a paywall was a decision FE took time over, with Dodds accepting that there have been "pros and cons" to the switch. The number of viewers are one of the cons, as it has not produced the numbers seen previously on free-to-air TV. 

However, a significant pro has been, as mentioned by Dodds, the on-screen production. Whilst teething issues have taken place at times, the general production of FE has improved considerably. 

The sport ticks boxes in every area, with an excellent presenting, punditry and commentary line-up consisting of industry professionals and ex-racing drivers. 

"You don't get that unless you've got a broadcaster investing in the production," Dodds points out. 

"I think there have been pros and cons because the numbers haven't been as high as it would be on free-to-air, obviously.

"There's a test happening in London, where it's on TNT, but the actual race itself is also being broadcast on Quest, which is the free-to-air channel for Warner Bros. Discovery. 

"So I'm going to see how that goes. I know they're very interested to see how that goes. 

"We'll kind of regroup and discuss the outcome of that test at the end of London and see what it might mean for next year."

Future TV possibilities

As explained by Dodds, FE will be available to watch for free this weekend on Quest. With three championships to be decided in the London E-Prix, interest in the series should be at an all-time high. 

FE returning to free-to-air television has been what a large portion of fans have pleaded for all season. It creates an interesting experiment for the sport as, in theory, there is nothing blocking fans in the UK and Ireland from watching the season finale. 

Dodds is, of course, interested in the Quest viewing figures this weekend, as are Warner Bros. Discovery who also own the Freeview channel. How it impacts the paywall figures is also on the CEO's mind. 

Ultimately, though, if this weekend sees huge viewing figures, then it could potentially lead to Warner Bros. Discovery putting races on its free-to-air channel more often next season.

"I think it will do two things," says Dodds. "It will show how much new interest comes in to watch the race on Quest, it will also show the impact that audience has on the TNT viewing audience because, obviously, they get a broader show by watching on TNT. 

"So I think its both parties actually [who decided to do the test], this is not our decision. It's ours, and TNT/Warner Bros. Discovery's decision to try this. 

"I think we're all quite excited to see what happens because conceptually if it's a raging success and works on all counts for them, it may be something they look to do more aggressively for next season, which is to have more kind of simulcast races on Quest and on TNT. 

"And perhaps then the broader content of the pre and post-shows would happen behind the paywall, but that means people would get their race fix. But let's see."