“They’ve All F*cked Each Other Over”: How Drive to Survive Outlived Tennis Docuseries Break Point

When Drive to Survive first premiered on Netflix in 2019, few could have predicted just how big it would become. Seven years later, it is credited as one of the biggest drivers of the sport’s growth and continues to excite a large portion of the fanbase while attracting new viewers every year.

Looking at the show’s success, producers decided to expand into other sports. This led to Break Point, a docuseries exploring the world of tennis, Full Swing, which focused on golf, and Tour de France: Unchained, which followed one of the most iconic cycling races in the world.

Sadly, none of these series came close to reaching the heights of Drive to Survive. They struggled to attract new fans to their respective sports—something Netflix’s F1 phenomenon achieved and continues to do. By focusing heavily on the personal lives of drivers and the drama behind the scenes, Drive to Survive created intrigue among viewers who might never have developed an interest in F1 through the races alone.

Executive producer James Gay-Rees—who initially thought of making a Red Bull only show—on the Paddock Project podcast, recently explained what has allowed them to outlast the other shows.

“I think that a team structure, especially two drivers trying to beat each other on the same team, I mean that’s a gift in itself,” Gay-Rees said.

Another compelling aspect was the fierce rivalries between teams on the track, each going above and beyond to outdo the other. “They are all trying to beat each other and they’ve all f*cked each other over, and they are all trying to sue each other. They all used to work for each other, they all had affairs with each other’s wives maybe,” he added jokingly.

For tennis and golf, replicating the same success was far more challenging. Without as much off-field drama, these sports naturally appealed only to dedicated fans. Break Point struggled to gain traction and was ultimately canceled after just two seasons.

With Full Swing also experiencing a decline in viewership, it may face cancellation after three seasons, with its latest season premiering last week but failing to generate much hype.

How is Drive to Survive doing?

Sports docuseries were once one of Netflix’s biggest weapons for generating viewership. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore.

Kym Illman recently revealed that almost all the shows produced by Box to Box Films (Drive to Survive’s creators) have suffered a decline in viewership. Last year, season six of the show had 5% fewer viewers than season five.

In a recent YouTube video, veteran F1 photojournalist Kym Illman discussed the declining viewership of various docuseries produced by Box to Box Films. He noted that Drive to Survive saw a 5% drop in viewership compared to 2023.

However, this decline was mild compared to Full Swing and Tour de France: Unchained, which saw their viewership plummet by 20-50% in the same period.

So, even though Drive to Survive isn’t blowing up like it once did, it’s still performing much better compared to the other shows. It also remains critically acclaimed, winning an Emmy Award in 2022 and earning another nomination in 2023.

Season 7 is set to release on Friday, March 7. With some blockbuster stories to follow, perhaps viewership will see an uptick this year.