Box to Box’s Head of Sports and Factual, Warren Smith, spoke to former England netball captain and now broadcaster Pamela Cookey at last month’s RTS Technology event, “Televising the greatest sporting spectacles on Earth”, held at IMG Studios at Stockley Park, London.

Smith detailed his own career, via structured reality formats such as SAS: Who Dares Wins, through to his current role, advocating for contributors to “own their story”. Encouraging his team to take the narrative beyond the headlines, Smith said: “What would the story be without the game? The game is the icing on top.”

This humanising approach to documentaries is working: in the US, where the popularity of Drive to Survive now means that more Formula 1 races are held there than in any other country.

The ripple effect for Box to Box has been huge, with an expanding slate of titles, including the likes of Break Point, Full Swing and Tour de France: Unchained.

Smith said a key factor has been building trust with organisations and athletes, exemplified by “crews hanging out with athletes during hotel breakfasts” to establish a level of familiarity that goes beyond standard observational documentaries. He emphasised the importance of sound in the shows.

Formula 1 and rugby already had microphones in helmets and attached to referees, and by embracing and utilising this added layer, Box to Box has been able to bring a level of intimacy to its shows. Its upcoming Isle of Man TT series will see microphones put on riders and their bikes.

Smith added: “Sideline stories can be as important as the winners.”

The trials and tribulations of Formula 1 team manager Guenther Steiner and golfer Joel Dahmen are just “as enthralling and entertaining” as the big names such as Mercedes and Ferrari. Both teams declined to take part in the first series of Drive to Survive … but subsequently featured prominently.