Automotive content platforms have come and gone over the years, whether they are traditional TV channels or online communities. A new streaming service known as Driven has entered the fray. With the support of “Top Gear USA” host Tanner Foust and “Gran Turismo” actor Emelia Hartford (both of whom are also successful racers), plus producer Michael George, Driven hopes to become a one-stop shop for car viewing pleasure. By Variety:
According to the team behind the project, on Driven, car fans can stream hundreds of hours of produced, commissioned and acquired car programming, from premium original series to masterclasses and curated content from popular creators. The platform will also include community-building features and forums to spark conversations and promote engagement among users.
On the surface, that sounds a bit like the formula of DriveTribethat ultimately failed in its original mission despite the support of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May. However, the online content landscape has changed quite a bit since DriveTribe launched in 2016. With a few smart choices, the idea could work this time. Unlike DriveTribe, which no one really understood what it was, Driven seems to have some pretty solid goals, including some that are quite needed these days. By The Hollywood Reporter:
After the success of Top Gear, Formula 1: Drive to Survive And The Grand Tourand car and automotive enthusiast channels spreading on YouTube and other social platforms, Driven will invite content creators to co-own their content when it debuts exclusively on the planned streaming platform. “Our goal is to reshape the way niche audiences experience content, conversation and culture, minimizing industry noise and barriers in favor of authenticity, ownership and connection,” Driven CEO George said in a statement. “Driven isn’t about competing with traditional media. It’s about uniting the best of them. We’re building a platform that solves distribution challenges for creators, brands and audiences, while keeping authenticity and audience top of mind.”
In the same article, Emelia Hartford cuts straight to the chase. “Driven will give creators and talent more autonomy, and will do so in a way that allows them to give their fans exactly the kind of content they want – rather than serving an algorithm.”
An idea whose time has come
YouTube will also demonetize or even remove content it doesn’t like, making all the hard work of creating that video worthless. It would make sense to penalize dangerous and illegal street racing videos, but lately YouTube seems to have expanded its offerings.harmful or dangerous content policy” to include legal racing or racing videos, and even junkyard walks and crashed car reconstructions, a major blow to all channels that built themselves on such content. TK’s garage explains this situation in more detail. And don’t even get us started on all the AI slops competing with legitimate human creators.
A formula similar to Driven’s that has worked before is Mistan independent streaming service started by a group of creators who were tired of all these restrictions. Many still make videos for YouTube, but they also make exclusive content for Nebula on topics that wouldn’t perform well, that wouldn’t be banned or demonetized on other platforms, or longer, more detailed videos that dedicated fans enjoy but that the short attention span of the general public wouldn’t tolerate. Since its launch in 2019, Nebula had that too 680,000 total subscribers from the end of 2023 and has continued to expand its original offering since then. Unlike YouTube, its business model prioritizes treating both creators and customers fairly and respectfully, and it works.
If Driven copies Nebula’s work with an emphasis on quality automotive content, I think it has a good chance of success. Many popular automakers have recently left the major channels they were part of and struck out on their own, largely because they were tired of the algorithm-driven corporate grind that Driven also wants to avoid. There are also many great independent creators, some of which are already successful, and smaller channels yet to be discovered. It’s too early to say whether Driven will really go this way or give in to corporate greed, but I hope it stays true to its word and gives us the high-quality automotive content we’re looking for.
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