What Liberty Media takeover means for MotoGP
MotoGP is set to have new owners, so what now? MCN investigates the future of racing’s premier series
Liberty Media’s multi-billion pound acquisition of MotoGP in early April has generated mixed reactions from fans of the sport. Many fear the deal could make racing’s premier class uncomfortably like Formula 1, a series also run by the American company. But what does this acquisition, which Liberty hope will go through at the end of 2024, really mean for the average race fan? And how will it change MotoGP and World Superbikes, which both fall under Dorna Sport’s control?
What will stay the same: It doesn’t need fixing
When Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta informed teams of MotoGP’s sale during the first two rounds of the season, he stressed there would be no dramatic change to how things are run. “He told us he would not sign or accept any deal that will radically change the way we work,” one Team Owner told MCN. “Liberty does not believe the sport needs any fixing, and we firmly agree with that,” Dorna Chief Sporting Officer Carlos Ezpeleta said in Austin. “I don’t think that there will be a lot of big changes that will affect our current fans.”
Format and grid
Dorna’s Chief Commercial Officer Dan Rossomondo has repeatedly talked up MotoGP’s current format and does not believe it needs further tweaking. “It’s tailor-made for an American audience,” he said during a call for Liberty Media’s shareholders. “It’s a 45-minute race with a 25-minute Sprint on Saturday. If you think about how sport is consumed today, this is perfect for young adults, both male and female.”
April 17 2024
That extends to the structure that makes up the MotoGP grid, where the grid’s six independent teams are fixed and receive payments in the region of £5-6 million for operational costs during the year. “We’ve gone from a system that was very dynamic where teams were changing and didn’t necessarily have two riders, to a grid which is now of an incredible level in both the factories and independent teams, and they all have a value that they’ve built together,” said Carlos Ezpeleta. This won’t change, even if Dorna is hopeful of a new manufacturer entering in 2027.
Dorna’s other series
While Liberty was acquiring MotoGP, bosses have stressed how that includes “all the assets of the Dorna Group,” according to Carmelo Ezpeleta. “That includes World Superbike, MotoE, Junior World Championships, all the Talent Cups, everything, and at the moment, nothing will change.” Moto2 and Moto3 will remain a key part of a Grand Prix weekend, where fans can watch the future stars of the premier class. And despite it not receiving much of a mention when news was announced, Dorna is happy with the World Superbike Championship. “When we say MotoGP that includes WorldSBK,” said Rossomondo. “We think it’s a great property and it has a distinct audience and a really good future.”
What will change: ‘Improved storytelling about the riders and sport’
Unlike current owners Bridgepoint and CPPIB (Canadian Pension Plan), MotoGP’s new principle owners Liberty specialise in media, rather than investment. Thus they will seek a more direct involvement in the sport’s operation than their predecessors. One area where Liberty have excelled in F1 is the way they’ve made the sport more engaging and accessible through social media, storytelling, and fanzones. That in turn attracted a new global audience, lowering the age of the average F1 fan, and making it more attractive to women, in the process.
“Our goal is to expand the sport to newer audiences,” said Liberty CEO Greg Maffei in a meeting with shareholders, “and use the opportunity to amplify [this] with improved storytelling about the riders and the sport.” F1’s social media output became cutting edge while it also gained great success with Netflix documentary Drive to Survive. “The game changer was changing the focus from the car to being about the stories of F1,” he told American news channel CNBC. Expect more dynamic MotoGP media output, including a likely high-profile documentary series, in the upcoming years.
‘Liberty does not believe the sport needs fixing’
CARLOS EZPELETA
‘Our goal is to expand to newer audiences’
More races further afield
MotoGP currently have 12 races in Europe, and nine further afield.
Compare that to Formula 1, where only nine of the 24 events will take place in Europe this year. Liberty wish to up the MotoGP calendar to 22 races, but with more visits to places outside Europe, with another race in the USA touted as an option. “We believe 22 races is the right number and we’ll shift the focus to optimise global race locations,” Maffei told the shareholder meeting. When speaking to American news channel CNBC, he added, “The opportunity to grow [in the US] and to extend it to new geographies is very exciting.”
But that change won’t happen overnight with Carmelo Ezpeleta stating these moves won’t be seen “until 2027” due to current deals.
More focus on the US
With the hindsight of Liberty’s acquisition, it’s clear why Dorna was so keen to bump out Cryptodata RNF at the end of 2023 to make way for the Americanowned Trackhouse Racing team. The sport’s new owners see an American presence on the MotoGP grid as crucial to grow bike racing stateside. MCN understands Joe Roberts – currently second in this year’s Moto2 World Championship – has been told there is a space in Trackhouse for him on next year’s MotoGP grid should he achieve the requisite results this season, again with attracting stateside sponsors and audiences, in mind.
And that won’t just be limited to teams or riders. Dorna – a Spanish company with a largely Spanish workforce – is set to become more international. “I’ve been shouting from the rooftops for more people in the US to come to MotoGP,” said Rossomondo. “I think you’ll see that on the personnel side.”