Already owner of Formula 1, the Liberty Media group obtained the green light from the European competition authorities on Monday for the acquisition of MotoGP, which sees this merger as a way to increase its notoriety.
The European Commission has unconditionally approved the acquisition of Dorna Sports, the company owning the rights to the MotoGP world championship, by the American group, estimating in a press release that “the operation would not raise competition problems”.
Search for the show
The arrival of Liberty Media, which has demonstrated its know-how in media, sport and entertainment with F1, is eagerly awaited by the MotoGP teams. Since the American company took control of F1 in 2017, it has implemented an expansion strategy, particularly in the United States, based on the permanent search for spectacle.
Helped by the Netflix series “Drive to Survive”, the group also managed to popularize this sport by targeting a more feminine and younger audience.
“With what has already been done for Formula 1, Liberty Media can contribute a lot to move MotoGP forward,” assured Hervé Poncharal, president of the teams association, interviewed in February by AFP.
“The profile of Formula 1, the audiences, the calendars, the investors,… everything has evolved a lot in a positive direction, they (editor’s note: Liberty Media) have learned a lot of things since they have been here and many of them can be applied in an almost identical way to MotoGP,” added the boss of the KTM-Tech3 team.
No competition
The operation between the two media groups, announced in spring 2024, was notified to the Commission in November. The competition watchdog in the EU sought to determine in particular whether this merger would reduce competition in the licensing of sports content broadcasting rights.
The Commission feared “that the operation would lead to an increase in prices for the licensing of broadcasting rights for motorsport events”.
In the end, it found that Liberty Media and Dorna were “not close competitors for the licensing of sports content broadcasting rights” in several national markets, including Spain and Italy, major suppliers of motorcycle champions, and that this acquisition would therefore not pose competition problems, the broadcasters being able “always to acquire other sports content attracting a comparable or higher audience”.
Agreement in July
Liberty Media will acquire 84% of Dorna Sports, with the current managers of the Madrid-based company retaining the remaining 16%, specifies the press release signed by both parties. And Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna since 1998, will continue to manage MotoGP with his teams.
“The agreement is expected to be finalized no later than July 3, 2025, opening a new era for our sport,” MotoGP said in a press release.
“MotoGP is a highly attractive premier sporting asset with incredible racing, has a passionate fan base and has a strong cash flow profile,” comments Liberty Media CEO Derek Chang in the joint statement.
“We believe that this sport and this brand have significant growth potential, which we will seek to unlock by deepening the relationship with the core of its fan base and attracting a broader global audience,” he explains.
In the same press release, Carmelo Ezpeleta underlines that this development is “an important step confirming the even brighter future that awaits MotoGP”. “Liberty is the best possible partner for our sport and for the entire MotoGP community,” he says.
