Formula 1®, the pinnacle of motorsport, is delighted to welcome New Balance, the footwear and lifestyle brand, as the Presenting Partner of F1 Esports Series.

From activations around the three Pro Series live events to branded digital content, New Balance will be fully integrated into the F1 Esports Pro Series Championship, with F1 Esports drivers also wearing New Balance socks and shoes while racing for their Official F1 teams.

The Championship will consist of three live broadcasted and streamed events, each covering multiple races, held in London in October and November. Just like in the FIA Formula One World Championship™, drivers and teams will collect points across the Pro Series to win the Drivers’ and Teams’ Championships, with an overall prize pool of $200k.

The recent inaugural F1 Esports Pro Draft, where drivers were selected by the F1 teams to compete in the Pro Series, took place in July. Viewership numbers across linear broadcast and online streaming were testament to the healthy level of interest that the global sports community have for F1 Esports.

Chris Travers, Director of Global Partnerships at Formula 1, said:

“New Balance are the global leaders in footwear performance technology and a lifestyle brand that transcends traditional sport. We are thrilled to bring them on board as the Presenting Partner for our inaugural F1 Esports Pro Series: we share the same passion for speed and competition and the desire to reach new audiences. New Balance joins the group of sponsors and partners of F1 Esports Series, which already includes DHL, Fanatec, Codemasters and Gfinity.”

Chris Davis, VP of Global Marketing and Sports Marketing at New Balance, said:

“At New Balance, we firmly believe that our partnerships are a reflection of our values. Partnering with F1 Esports initiative exemplifies our commitment to marketing innovation and creating meaningful connections to consumers who desire premium fan experiences across the world. Both New Balance and Formula 1 consistently strive to bring an elevated product to our respective consumer bases – we will collaborate to celebrate craft, thoughtfulness and sophistication. Formula 1 is a truly global, fearlessly independent, tier 1 sport, with a rabid fan base, eager for speed, competition and engaging content. The contagious energy of Esports is real and we couldn’t be more excited to bring this passion to life with the Formula 1 team.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Norman Howell, Director of Communications, Formula 1

E: [email protected]

M: +44 (0)7920 181 929

Formula 1 Press Office

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Edelman Press Office

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About Formula 1®

Formula 1® racing began in 1950 and is the world’s most prestigious motor racing competition, as well as the world’s most popular annual sporting series. The 2018 FIA Formula One World Championship™ runs from March to November and spans 21 races in 21 countries across five continents. Formula One World Championship Limited is part of Formula 1, and holds the exclusive commercial rights to the FIA Formula One World Championship™.

Formula1 is a subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation (NASDAQ: LSXMA, LSXMB, LSXMK, BATRA, BATRK, FWONA, FWONK) attributed to the Formula One Group tracking stock.

The F1 FORMULA 1 logo, FORMULA 1, F1, FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, GRAND PRIX and related marks are trade marks of Formula One Licensing BV, a Formula 1 company: All rights reserved.

About New Balance

New Balance, headquartered in Boston, MA has the following mission: Demonstrating responsible leadership, we build global brands that athletes are proud to wear, associates are proud to create and communities are proud to host. Manufactured in the US for over 75 years and representing a limited portion of our US sales, New Balance Made is a premium collection that contains a domestic value of 70% or greater. New Balance owns five factories in New England and one in Flimby, U.K. New Balance employs more than 6,000 associates around the globe, and in 2017 reported worldwide sales of $4.0 billion.

To learn more about New Balance, please visit www.newbalance.com.

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