DAZN acquires Ecclestone F1 docu-series
October 6, 2022
By Nik Roseveare
DAZN, the sports streaming service, has acquired the exclusive rights to stream the documentary series Lucky!, in six markets – Austria, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain and Switzerland. The eight-part series explores the story of Formula 1 as told by its founder, Bernie Ecclestone, and will land on DAZN later this year.
Written and directed by Manish Pandey (Senna), Lucky! is the personal story of Ecclestone as he realises his vision to create and develop a sport to rival the World Cup and the Olympics. Now 91 years old, he has remained an enigma, but he was extensively filmed at his homes in Gstaad and Ibiza during the Covid-19 lockdown, revealing his life story and the story of the birth, growth and phenomenal success of Formula 1. Original music for the series will be composed by Antonio Pinto (Senna).
DAZN’s EVP Global Commissioning & Original Content, Grant Best, commented: “Sport is full of entrepreneurial characters and their stories that change the game. For over forty years Bernie Ecclestone’s vision transformed F1 into one of the biggest annual sporting events in the world. DAZN continues to work with exceptional filmmakers and we are delighted to be working with Manish Pandey who is bringing this incredible story to our sports fans in some of our biggest markets.”
“Lucky! is a series I have been writing and researching all my life. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to work with Bernie and tell the story of an enigma and unrivalled businessman who created a sports franchise single-handedly, something that will probably never be done again. In his 70 years in the sport, he dealt with public figures from Mandela to Blair, and with drivers from Fangio, to Senna, to Hamilton. Our key broadcast partners DAZN, Discovery, ESPN and NENT have been incredibly supportive and I look forward working with each of them to make the series a success in their individual markets,” added Pandey.