It has been announced this week that Liberty Media will acquire Dorna Sports, S.L., the sole commercial rights holder for the MotoGP™ World Championship, from Bridgepoint and CPP Investments. The attribution of MotoGP to Liberty Media’s Formula One Group tracking stock is also part of this agreement.
MotoGP, the ultimate motorcycle racing event, showcases exhilarating races reaching speeds of over 360 kilometers per hour and extreme lean angles exceeding 60 degrees. Since its inception in 1949 with six European rounds, MotoGP has greatly expanded, now hosting 21 races across 17 nations for the upcoming 2024 season. Leading the organization is Carmelo Ezpeleta, who has been CEO of Dorna since 1994 and will continue to lead from Madrid.
“We are excited to add MotoGP to our portfolio of top live sports and entertainment properties,” stated Greg Maffei, President and CEO of Liberty Media. The league has a dedicated following worldwide and offers thrilling racing as well as a strong financial outlook. Under Carmelo’s leadership, it has become a premier sporting event that we plan to bring to even more fans around the globe. With potential for growth, our aim is to enhance the MotoGP experience for fans, teams, sponsors, and shareholders alike.”
According to Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta, this marks an important advancement in MotoGP’s evolution and we are eagerly anticipating the impact it will have on both our organization and fans of racing. Our pride in the sport’s global growth is reflected in this transaction, showcasing its current value and potential for future expansion. With Liberty’s proven success in developing sports properties, we could not have asked for a better partner to help MotoGP reach a wider audience worldwide.
The acquisition by Liberty Media will result in the company owning 86% of MotoGP, while the remaining 14% will still be held by MotoGP management. The total value of the transaction is €4.2 billion for the entire MotoGP enterprise, with an equity value of €3.5 billion. It should be noted that the existing debt at MotoGP will not be affected by this transaction.
The completion of the acquisition is anticipated by the end of 2024, pending clearances and approvals from competition and foreign investment law authorities in multiple jurisdictions.
It is an interesting step and one I hope that will protect and grow the audience and reach of MotoGP for future generations as it seems the Liberty team have done with the F1 series since its takeover. Whilst not all things work on first attempt, the new global reach of F1 thanks to Liberty’s new stance and ideas (including the Netflix series ‘Drive to Survive’) has seen a positive growth and lets all hope this magic touch will add to the global appeal of MotorGP.
