just to mention the F1 point, the driver really don’t like the overdramatization that Drive to Survive does. to the point where Max Verstappen refused to participate in it and several other drivers backed him out and voiced their outrage.
I follow F1 very closely and have been doing so for the last 25 years, and I could see how DTS tried to really fake events and feuds that were none existent in reality. The Sam beef was much more real and less dramatized that what DTS did in the last 2 years.
However, and you can’t really compare F1 as you rightly mention, the massive uptake in viewership in the USA is due to DTS making F1 into a show, and we can’t deny that it was a success.
Just to make it clear though, I don’t think faking feuds in Triathlon would work. 2 totally different sports, fan base, and viewing experience