In 2018, Netflix started showing an interest in sailing by sponsoring Sam Goodchild's Route du Rhum in exchange of Narcos branded sails.
It’s not every day that a production and distribution studio decides to sponsor a sailor. This was the case for British sailor Sam Goodchild in 2018, who was preparing to take part in the eleventh edition of the Route du Rhum-Destination Guadeloupe, a transatlantic race.
Considered one of the favorites for the race from St Malo to Pointe-à-Pitre, Sam Goodchild had the opportunity to be sponsored by the Netflix Narcos Mexico mini-series.
The sailor, originally from Falmouth in southwest England and who also spends much of his time in Lorient, presented at the start of the race a red boat, in the colors of Netflix, equipped with a mainsail presenting the two main actors of the series, as well as the slogan: “The history of Narcos has no borders”.
At the same time, a video was shared on Facebook, featuring a “police” helicopter asking Sam Goodchild to “identify himself” at sea.
For the Briton, the Netflix sponsorship came at just the right time. Indeed, Sam Goodchild was thinking of withdrawing from the race two months earlier due to lack of funds… before receiving the call from the American company announcing that he had been selected for this exceptional promotional campaign.
