GP Explorer, a hybrid Method 4 contest going down on the Bugatti circuit in Le Mans, France, during which content material creators make up the driving groups, drew 1.4 million spectators on Twitch over the weekend, making it the highest-viewed French stream so far on the platform.
State channel France 2 additionally broadcast the event for the primary time, with the final race on Sunday afternoon (October 5), drawing 1.22 million spectators, for a ten.8% share of the viewers, in line with figures compiled by viewers monitor Mediametrie.
By comparability, the Singapore Grand Prix drew 1.09 million spectators in France for pay-TV community Canal+.
In its third version, GP Explorer is the brainchild of French YouTuber Squeezie (Lucas Hauchard), who has some 20 million YouTube followers, with the assist of the FFSA Academy, the Le Mans-based motorsports faculty coaching drivers and mechanics.
Alongside the racing, there have been concert events on Friday and Saturday night time by artists akin to Vladimir Cauchemar, Joyca, Tiakola and Myd, whereas the French airforce’s Patrouille de France did a flypast forward of the ultimate race.
A complete of 24 content material creator drivers participated on this yr’s event, which was opened as much as worldwide contestants for the primary time.
Spanish streamer Karchez, gained the event, with France’s Kaatsup and Maxime Biaggi coming in second and third, whereas U.S. contestants Ludwig (Ludwig Ahgren) and Michael Reeve got here in ninth and 14th respectively.
Kaatsup, who has 1.8 million followers on TikTok, was the primary lady to mount the winners podium throughout the three tournaments.
Squeezie, who was competing underneath the Netflix workforce banner, started the final contest in ninth place however didn’t full the race.
GP Explorer was initially sparked by a 2020 pledge from Squeezie throughout a live-streamed influencers charity occasion that he would host a real-life, motor-racing event if greater than €100,000 ($101,000) in donations was raised.
He saved his promise after sum got here in, launching GP Explorer in 2022. It drew over a million views for Twitch within the first yr, with its following rising over the subsequent two editions.
Squeezie (Hauchard) introduced the third version could be the final ever GP Explorer event, however has revealed he’s mulling different motor-racing associated occasions.
Talking on the fringes of GP Explorer over the weekend, he advised French sports activities newspaper ‘L’Equipe’ that he needed to create an entry stage league aimed toward younger racing aficionados missing the monetary backing to compete within the sport.
The ultimate version of GP Explorer was its most bold date with some 200,000 spectators collaborating in individual in Le Mans throughout the occasion, with tickets beginning at €69 ($80) for the race days on Saturday and Sunday.