Attending Live in Digital Age: Why It Matters

While we live in a time defined by instant gratification and an endless array of entertainment sources constantly at our fingertips, many motorsports fans still take the time to physically attend races. Why are motorsports and other sporting events still seeing good attendance when there are many more convenient entertainment options?

If there was one thing that you had to say we have in abundance in 2026, it would be choices for entertainment. There are so many platforms that offer instant on-demand streaming of thousands of hours of content, video and board gaming are more popular than ever, and many sports are seeing more viewership than ever before.

So much of the entertainment we have access to today is digital, instant, and above all, easy to access. So with all of these great entertainment options, why do fans of motorsport, or of any sport, continue to go to live events?

Let’s look a little closer at the things that drive people to make the effort to buy Tottenham Hotspur tickets and watch a soccer match live, or make the trip to their nearest F1 race and sit in the stands, or go to any live sporting event. From social elements to the atmosphere of a live race to ticking off a life goal, let’s look at some of the reasons fans still love to catch motorsports live.

A Live Event Offers a Unique Atmosphere

Sure, sitting at home on your couch, maybe with some friends as company, and watching your favorite motorsport on a big TV can be enjoyable, but it lacks a certain something. Being trackside and hearing the screech of tires and roar of engines, feeling the thrum of the car’s engines deep in your chest as they hurtle past, smelling the rubber as it burns on tight corners—nothing you do at home can ever replace those sensations, that atmosphere.

Zandvoort draws massive crowds during the Dutch GP, Zandvoort 28-31 August 2025. Formula 1 World championship 2025.

More than the physical sensations, being a part of a group of people who have all come to the same place for the same reason can almost become a sensation all on its own. You and all of the other fans project a shared sense of excitement, something that becomes almost palpable as you cheer on your favorite teams or drivers.

You might get better angles and more in-depth stats for drivers while sitting on your couch, but you’ll never get the same sense of atmosphere. This sense of being part of a shared community is what drives people to physically attend races and to keep coming back for more. Regardless of whether your team or driver wins, the sense of being there and absorbing the atmosphere can make the trip worth it, all on its own.

Attending Live Events is a Social Experience

In addition to having an atmosphere worth savoring, being physically present at a race, or any other sporting event, is a great social experience. Most people go to races with friends or family, and those who go on their own are likely to make memories with strangers that might turn them into friends.

The experience of traveling to the race track and staying nearby, sometimes even camping at the circuit, is the perfect way to cement friendships or make new ones. Many motorsports have a unique social world that travels with them, something that brings together a community of people who become more than just a disparate collection of racing fans.

Fans during the Hungarian GP, Budapest 31 July-4 August 2025. Formula 1 World championship 2025.

While you can sit with your friends on your couch and make some memories watching a race, those memories won’t stick with you as long or as hard as those made by being physically present on race day.

Some Races Become a Bucket-List Event

For some motorsport and sports fans, attending a big event in person might be something they’ve wanted to do all their life. Whether it’s the Super Bowl in the NFL while their team is competing, or a big motorsport race like Le Mans or the Monaco Grand Prix, these events can hold a certain sort of weight to them, something that someone might look forward to all their days, and look back on with fondness after they’ve attended.

For many people, attending a race or sporting event like this might be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. People travel for thousands of miles and spend relatively large sums of money to be part of the crowds of these events, all for the opportunity to witness history being made on the track or field.

Anyone can watch a race digitally, but not everyone can actually be there and experience it.

Final Thoughts

Digital entertainment might be ever-present and ubiquitous in our lives, but it isn’t the pinnacle of experience. For many people, being physically present on race day or at a big sporting event is worth much more than simply being able to see the outcome happen in front of them.

Being present allows you to soak in the atmosphere of the event, be part of the social community that surrounds it, and even be a part of something bigger than yourself, something that not everyone gets to be a part of. It doesn’t matter how good digital entertainment gets; it will never replace the thrill of actually being there.