Formula One owner Liberty Media has agreed to acquire Dorna Sports, the exclusive commercial rights holder to the MotoGP World Championship.
Liberty Media has acquired Dorna Sports from investment group Bridgepoint and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board.
The deal will see Liberty acquire about 86% of Dorna, with Dorna’s management retaining the rest of the business. Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna since 1994, will continue to run the business headquartered in Madrid.
The transaction reflects an enterprise value for Dorna/MotoGP of €4.2bn and an equity value of €3.5bn, with MotoGP’s existing debt balance expected to remain in place after close.
The deal unites two of motor sports’ premiere events: Dorna Sports has owned motorcycle racing championship MotoGP since 1992, while Liberty Media took control of Formula One in 2017.
MotoGP is hosting 21 races across 17 countries for the 2024 season.
“We are thrilled to expand our portfolio of leading live sports and entertainment assets with the acquisition of MotoGP,” said Greg Maffei, Liberty Media President and CEO. “MotoGP is a global league with a loyal, enthusiastic fan base, captivating racing and a highly cash flow generative financial profile. Carmelo and his management team have built a great sporting spectacle that we can expand to a wider global audience. The business has significant upside, and we intend to grow the sport for MotoGP fans, teams, commercial partners and our shareholders.”
Ezpeleta added: “This is the perfect next step in the evolution of MotoGP, and we are excited for what this milestone brings to Dorna, the MotoGP paddock and racing fans. We are proud of the global sport we’ve grown, and this transaction is a testament to the value of the sport today and its growth potential. Liberty has an incredible track record in developing sports assets and we could not wish for a better partner to expand MotoGP’s fanbase around the world.”
You are not signed in
Only registered users can comment on this article.
Wimbledon 2025 drives record digital audience for BBC Sport
Wimbledon attracted a record-breaking 69.3m online requests for BBC Sport from 30 June to 13 July – the highest ever digital engagement for the tennis championships on record.
WPP names Microsoft’s Cindy Rose as next CEO
Ad agency giant WPP has appointed Microsoft executive Cindy Rose as its next CEO, replacing Mark Read when he steps down on September 1.
HBO’s Harry Potter TV series starts production at Leavesden
HBO’s Harry Potter television series has officially started production at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in the UK.
.jpg)
Ofcom explores how tech firms can help users spot AI deepfakes
UK regulator Ofcom has published a discussion paper exploring the different tools and techniques that tech firms can use to help users identify deepfake AI-generated videos.
Small changes can reduce energy use in genAI by 90%, says UNESCO report
Small changes to how AI large language models (LLMs) are built and used can dramatically reduce energy consumption without compromising performance, according to new research published by the UN’s science and cultural organisation UNESCO and UK university UCL.
.jpg)
