Disney+ to air Max Verstappen’s ‘Max vs 100’ go-kart race

ESPN may have lost the rights to Formula One, but that won’t stop it from airing a unique Red Bull event featuring Max Verstappen.

Disney has announced an agreement to air “Max vs 100,” which will see Verstappen race 100 people in a go-karting event live globally on Disney+ and on the ESPN app in the United States. There will also be a delayed broadcast on ESPN2.

The event will take place on September 16 at a specially designed course at Silverstone, the home of the British Grand Prix.

The twist is that Verstappen will start at the back of a 101-driver field in what is set to be the biggest go-kart race in the world. The field will include athletes, celebrities, and streamers. While the full field has not yet been revealed, Red Bull announced that ultrarunner Arda Saatçi, basketball shooting specialist Chris “Lethal Shooter” Matthews, freestyle mountain biker Matt Jones, and streamers TheGrefg, Caedrel, and TheDonato will all participate.

This will be ESPN’s first opportunity to feature Formula One’s biggest star since it lost the rights to the racing circuit to Apple TV following the 2025 season. A recent analysis of F1 ratings suggests that move has hurt the circuit’s viewership in the United States.

For this occasion, ESPN and Red Bull will also be spicing up the broadcast. Three-time BAFTA-winning British comedian Mo Gilligan will lead the live broadcast. In addition, the broadcast will feature live race data, game-inspired graphics, and cinematic drone footage. Plus, Verstappen will be able to talk to his competitors through the radio, which should add some interesting drama to the event.

Red Bull is well-versed in the wacky event business. It organizes competitions like Red Bull Flugtag, which started in 1992, where competitors create homemade flying machines and compete to see how long they can fly. Most of these events, while produced for television, air to a niche audience, often on FAST streaming channels. This is one of the few events that will get the backing of a major streaming platform in Disney+.

The post Disney+ to air Max Verstappen’s ‘Max vs 100’ go-kart race appeared first on Awful Announcing.