Liberty does not intend to change MotoGP under its ownership

On Monday morning, American giant Liberty Media announced that it had acquired 86% of MotoGP in a deal worth 4.2 billion euros.

The deal – which will be completed by the end of 2024 – will see Liberty retain ownership of the two major motorsport championships: Formula 1 and MotoGP, although the latter will continue to be managed independently by Dorna.

Since purchasing F1 in 2016, Liberty has managed to bring the series to a much wider audience and boost its profits, largely thanks to its expansion into America.

The news of Liberty's acquisition of MotoGP has fans fearing that the series could undergo deleterious changes under new ownership.

However, during an investor call on Monday, April 1, Liberty Media president and CEO Greg Maffei said the company has no plans to radically change MotoGP.

“As far as monetization versus growing support, I think it's a false dichotomy in some respects; I think they go hand in hand,” Maffei said when asked about Liberty's plans to grow MotoGP versus its earning needs.

“What we saw in F1 is that, as the fan base grew, monetization became easier because partners – whether they be broadcast partners, promoters or sponsors, and whether they look at branding or activation, and increasingly activation – they are all an integral part.”

“When the enthusiasm grows, the demand grows, the public grows, everything flows into a sort of positive driving force. And this is what we felt in Formula 1, all these elements came together. And I like to believe that this is the potential here too.”

“This is an incredible product, we have no intention of changing this sport. It's a fantastic sport, with a great fan base, offering incredible competition and excitement.”

“Our goal is to open it up to a broader audience and a broader set of business partners of all types. And I think those things go hand in hand.”

During the phone call, both Liberty representatives and Dorna sporting director Carlos Ezpeleta repeatedly underlined that MotoGP cannot be organized on street circuits.

This is in response to comments from fans on social media that MotoGP could follow the path that F1 has taken in recent years, when its calendar has expanded with more street circuits.