The American company Liberty Media Corp., which owns Formula 1, is buying the MotoGP motorcycle racing series by the end of the year, announced MotoGP officials on Monday.
Liberty Media will purchase around 86% of Spain-based Dorna Sports, which holds the commercial and television rights for MotoGP, for about $4.5 billion (4.2 billion euros). Dorna Sports will continue to operate independently under the leadership of Carmelo Ezpeleta, who has been the series’ chief executive since 1994.
Liberty Media acquired Formula 1 in 2017 and has overseen its growth, including the popular Netflix series “Drive to Survive” and the addition of races in Miami and Las Vegas in the United States.
MotoGP, the top racing series for motorcycles, will have 21 grand prix races across four continents in 2024. The next race is the Grand Prix of the Americas at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, on April 14. The circuit, initially built for Formula 1, has hosted MotoGP races since 2013.
Spanish rider Jorge Martin leads this season’s championship ahead of South Africa’s Brad Binder after two races. Liberty Media president and CEO Greg Maffei stated, “MotoGP has a global fan base, exciting racing, and generates significant revenue.
Carmelo and his team have created an excellent sporting event that we can expand to a wider global audience. We aim to grow the sport for MotoGP fans, teams, partners, and our shareholders.”
