F1 Owner Expands Motorsport Empire with MotoGP Takeover

The owner of Formula 1, Liberty Media Corporation, confirmed on July 3 that he had completed the purchase of the Holder of the Rights of MotoGP, Dorna Sports. In addition to F1, Quint and other minority investments, the American organization now lists MotoGP as a subsidiary.

Liberty Media, a renowned player in the sports, media and entertainment sector, acquired 84% of Dorna. The remaining 16% is held by the MotoGP management. The news arrives a few days after Newsweek Sports reported that Liberty Media had obtained unconditional approval for the acquisition of Dorna for $ 4.4 billion.

Confirming the transaction, MotoGP said:

“Liberty Media Corporation (” Liberty Media “) (Nasdaq: Fwona, Fwonk, Llyva, Llyvk) and Dorna Sports, SL (” Dorna “), the exclusive business rights of MotoGP ™ World Championship (” MotoGP “), announced today that Liberty Media has completed its acquisition of Dorna.

“After closed transactions, the Formula 1 group of Liberty Media is made up of its subsidiaries Formula 1, MotoGP and Quint and other minority investments.”

The takeover of the MotoGP was to conclude last year, but given the very publicized nature of the acquisition, the agreement was under the lens of the European Union, which conducted an investigation to understand the impact of the agreement on diffusers and streaming platforms, in particular since two giants of motorsport, F1 and Motogp would belong to a common owner.

Following the approval of the European Union, Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna, who will continue to manage MotoGP, said in a statement:

“We are very happy that the European Commission approved the transaction. This is an important step confirming the even brighter future that awaits us for MotoGP.

“MotoGP is one of the most exciting sports on the earth, and we are impatient to accelerate the growth of sport and extend its scope to even more fans in the world. Liberty is the best possible partner for our sport and the whole community of MotoGP, and we are delighted to create an even greater value for our fans, our business partners and everyone in competition.”

Derek Chang, president and chief executive officer of Liberty Media, said:

“Today’s approval of the European Commission marks the last condition for the closure of MotoGP’s acquisition by Liberty. We are delighted to officially start the Liberty partnership with Carmelo and its excellent management team.

“MotoGP is a very attractive high -end sporting active ingredient with an incredible race, a passionate fans base and a solid cash flow profile. We think that sport and the brand have a significant growth potential, which we will seek by deepening the connection with the basic fans base and extending to a wider global audience.”

Given the success of the F1 since its acquisition by Liberty Media in 2017, and its expansion in new markets such as America, we could expect MotoGP to develop in a similar way.