On Friday 18 April at the 6 Hours of Silverstone the FIA World Endurance Championship unveiled the new and exciting Second Screen App which allows fans of Endurance Racing to have unprecedented interactive access to information and live streams during qualifying and the race.
The application, which is available on Apple and Android platforms, was downloaded for free by thousands of fans over the weekend and the rankings for the Apple iStores in the key markets were a clear indicator of the popularity of the sophisticated app.
France
FIA WEC iPad is the 3rd most downloaded app and the 2nd top grossing app
FIA WEC iPhone is the 2nd most downloaded app and the 1st top grossing app
USA
FIA WEC iPad app is the 36th most downloaded app (ahead of NASCAR)
FIA WEC iPhone app is the 14th top grossing app
Germany
FIA WEC iPad is the 8th most downloaded app and the 2nd top grossing app
FIA WEC iPhone app is the top grossing app
Japan
FIA WEC iPad is the 14th most downloaded app and the 4th top grossing app
UK
FIA WEC iPad is the 10th most downloaded app and the 4th top grossing app
FIA WEC iPhone is the 21st most downloaded app and the 3rd top grossing app
Australia
FIA WEC iPad is the 4th most downloaded app and the 5th top grossing app
FIA WEC iPhone is the 12th most downloaded app and the 6th top grossing app
Gerard Neveu, CEO of the FIA WEC, said: “Thank you to the thousands of fans who have already downloaded the new FIA WEC app this weekend. We launched the FIA WEC application last Friday at Silverstone and the initial figures from the key markets indicate that this application is proving to be very popular with the fans.
“Our goal as always has been to satisfy our fans and to attract some new ones; this is why we chose a really attractive price. By purchasing the season pack, the Full Live costs less than €3 per race. And if we look at what the application provides (Onboard, Full Live…etc) this is more than a money-making investment, it’s about providing the fans with a whole new way of following endurance racing. Our ambition is to make from this Second Screen App fully dedicated to WEC as an interactive platform, attractive and accessible across the entire world.
“You cannot win the World Title in one race but within a full season; this is the same situation for an application,” Mr. Neveu concluded.
A number of questions were asked by FIA WEC second screen App users over the first weekend and a Frequently Asked Questions document has been prepared to help answer those queries.
1. Previous years’ races were free for live streaming. Why do we have to pay for live streaming this year?
It is a second screen programme. We have with our partners involved in the WEC a long term strategy. It means we want to increase the different support we can offer for the fans and for the potential new followers. This strategy forces us to follow some rules that are regulated by the audiovisual market.
If the live streaming is free for all, this will cause problems for our first screen broadcasters. First screen participants, such as our TV Broadcaster, will not sign a contract if the content is available for free in an application. In addition if the cornerstone of the app is the video, it will go far beyond just a streamed video and will include more functionality.
Apple’s terms and conditions are such that if you pay for a premium application, you cannot have the same product available on any other device for free.
It is the only motorsport app with a full live experience and this weekend has already proved its success. We’ve developed greatly the service already provided for the Fans.
2. Why do I have to pay for each device?
The first objective was to launch the mobile application for the beginning of the 2014 season. The In App Purchase pack is linked to Apple or Google or Web accounts, thus there is no link possible between those different platforms. Nevertheless, you can use the same purchase on different devices running on the same system. For example the same purchase will be valid for your iPhone & your iPad.
We definitely want to provide the cross platform experience and we will work hard on this in order to find an appropriate solution but it needs some time to develop. We assure you that we are definitely working on it.
3. Why the Timing was behind a pay wall?
That was a configuration error which will be corrected from the WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.
Moving forward we will provide a free Live Timing experience for every session of the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship.
4. Why such a late announcement?
First of all we didn’t have anything to show to the public before the qualifying session, and we have to say we weren’t prepare for such a success. After only one day without even promoting it the figures were higher than expected.
In order to ensure that the app was ready and running well we had to test it at the Official Test, The Prologue in Le Castellet, with a full TV set up. Once this test was complete we applied further updates to ensure that the app would work at the opening round at Silverstone, which was the first televised session, qualifying for the 6 Hours of Silverstone on Saturday 19 April.
5. Why is the 24 Hours of Le Mans not included in the season package?
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is a very different event and while it is part of the FIA WEC the rights for this event are separate. The 24 Hours of Le Mans is preparing a switch over after the WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps which will include some modifications to enhance the fans’ experience using this app for Le Mans.
6. Will the application remain the same during all the 2014 season
The FIA WEC® launched this brand new app for all our fans. This App is designed to bring the best live experience possible. We are listening to all the feedback we receive and we will develop and evolve this application throughout the season.
As we develop the application we will also introduce new and exciting features that will be unveiled during the year.
Features of the Second Screen Application
FREE ACCESS FEATURES
• HOME: Next event countdown, news and videos.
• LIVE TIMING: Light information regarding the timing for Qualifying sessions and Race.
• HIGHLIGHTS: One week after each race, you can find the highlights of the race in this section. In 52 minutes it will give you the most important facts to help you to understand the classification. It will also allow you to review specific moments during the qualifying session or the race.
• STANDINGS: Including FIA World Endurance Championship standings for drivers, teams, and manufacturers. In this section you can select your categories and/or favorites teams and/or drivers.
• MEDIAS: Spectacular videos, exclusive interviews, pictures that can be filtered by interest.
• NEWS: Keep informed about what is happening in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
• RACES: Get the overall calendar of the FIA World Endurance Championship. And give you an overview of each circuit visited by the FIA WEC®.
• TEAM: Detailed information about drivers, teams and manufacturers entered in the Championship.
• SOCIAL MEDIA: Integration of the Facebook page and twitter #FIAWEC feed for more interactivity. Share your feelings, become an actor of the Championship… With Live text.
• LIVE TIMING: Access to the FULL LIVE TIMING including best laps, position in category, gaps, average speed, pits, category filter… The marshaling system will allow you to know the location of each car on the track!
Premium Season Pack Features:
• LIVE COVERAGE: Includes FULL LIVE of the 7 races and qualifying sessions. The best way to be part of the race at the heart of the action wherever you are!
• ONBOARD: Access to onboard cameras. Select your favorite car and follow the race from inside the cockpit.
In-App Purchases:
1. Premium Season Pack (excluding the 24Hours of Le Mans) €19,99
2. Premium Race Pack (excluding the 24Hours of Le Mans) €4,49
3. Premium Race Pack – 24 Hours of Le Mans €9,99
To download the free FIA WEC App visit the iTunes store or Google Play Store and search for ‘FIA World Endurance Championship’ or ‘FIA WEC’
