Sportcal’s Post

MotoGP™ is a series with undeniable cause for optimism at the moment, after what has been a tough few years. On the track, Marc Márquez seems invigorated by his move to Gresini Racing and there is plenty of excitement for the debut campaign of young Spaniard Pedro Acosta, already tipped by many to follow in the six-time champions' footsteps. Away from the track, significant steps have been made to increase the series' presence in North America. Whilst the Andretti saga in F1 promises to rumble on for a while yet, MotoGP have moved to welcome a US-based team - Trackhouse Racing - onto the grid for 2024, whilst talks are seemingly ongoing for a second US race in the near future, at the Flatrock Motorsport Arena in Tennessee. With a new media rights deal also confirmed with TNT Sports, expectations are that US interest in the series will only grow. Commercially, the series is in a much healthier position than it was a few years ago, and begins the 2024 season amid rumours of a sale that would value it at $4bn. Delving into the media, consumer and financial data in more detail, Cian Brittle sheds some more light on the current position of the series and what would need to be done by any prospective buyer to take it to the next level. #racing #motorsport #motogp #sportsbiz https://lnkd.in/eVhKtTUX

MotoGP World Championship calendar shakes up: it will start at the Thailand GP in 2025 and 2026 | Motorcycling | Sports MotoGP continues to shake up its calendar and the World Championship will start next year at the Buriram circuit in Thailand. It will be the first time that it will do so in Southeast Asia in the 21st century. The last time MotoGP started in the region was in Malaysia, still under the old 500cc name. This return replaces the Qatar night, an unmissable opening event since 2007 with the only exception of 2023, when works on the Lusail circuit forced the start of the championship to be moved to Portugal. The first Grand Prix of 2025 is scheduled for March 2. “As soon as Buriram joined the calendar, it became one of our favourite circuits. It’s easy to see why – it’s a fantastic place to enjoy MotoGP, with a layout designed to showcase compact racing, as demonstrated by last year’s spectacle,” explains Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta on the choice of the Thai track. “Southeast Asia is one of our most important markets, both for the sport and for factories and sponsors,” he adds. Since its introduction to the series in 2018, more than 800,000 fans have flocked to the Buriram International Circuit over four editions of the event. The dates of Ramadan in 2025 – from February 28 to March 29 – and 2026 – from February 17 to March 18 – have affected the usual planning of recent years and forced a rethinking of the initial part of the championship, which will probably include another date in the region. For now, the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) has not officially announced any other dates for the competition for the next season, and it is expected that the provisional calendar will arrive later during the current campaign. The Buriram circuit made its debut on the calendar in 2018 with Marc Márquez winning after a nice, tight duel with Andrea Dovizioso. The following year, the Thai track was the scene of the Spaniard’s eighth world title. The pandemic forced MotoGP activity to stop in Thailand until 2022, when the event returned with a victory for Miguel Oliveira in a downpour. Last year, Jorge Martín was the winner of the round located in the northeast of the country, which will once again welcome the riders on October 27 for the penultimate grand prix of the season. This change of venue for the initial stop of the World Championship comes after a 2024 plagued by logistical setbacks for MotoGP. In total, the promoter has announced six changes to the initial calendar of the championship after having announced the longest season in history with 22 stops. The cancellation of the Argentine GP due to Javier Milei’s policy of cuts was the first setback of the season, and then came the mess of postponements of Kazakhstan and India. Finally, the cancellation of both Grand Prix has forced a double stop to be scheduled in Misano in September to safeguard the minimum commitments with commercial partners and to hold 20 races. ...

Audiences booming in motorsport 💥 💣 🏍🇵🇹 MotoGP- Portuguese GP grows 41% compared to 2023 and 130.57% as compared to 2022. 📊Audiences of 75.9k in 2022; 123.61k in 2023; and 175k in 2024. 🏎🇦🇺 Formula 1 attracted 452,055 spectators to the four-day race weekend at Albert Park which translates in a 1.67% growth as compared to 2023 and 7.86% as compared to 2022. 📊Audiences of 419.11k in 2022; 444.63k in 2023; and 452.06k in 2024. The future looks good ✅

Liberty Media just acquired Moto GP! F1🏎️ and Moto GP 🏍️under same roof now! A brief recap: 2017 F1 popularity (race attendances; TV views) at lowest point in 10years with steady decline YoY 2017 Liberty acquire F1 2019 first season of Drive to survive airs on Netflix Despite Covid in between, according to Forbes, F1 report incredible profits, double digit growth attendance and line up of TV deals. In 2023 MotoGP already were in very good shape and continue to improve. Taking F1 as reference, Liberty could catapult MotoGP to new heights.🚀 "Ride to Survive" in 2025? 🏍️ https://lnkd.in/d76HdEnG

#ICYMI: Chip Ganassi Racing’s Renger Van Der Zande was fastest in last night's final free practice for IMSA - International Motor Sports Association’s 27th running of #MotulPetitLeMans. Read more ⤵️ #IMSA #Cadillac #RoadAtlanta #Motorsport #Endurance #Racing #Sportscars

Last week, I decided to file a complaint at the DG-Comp about the reduction of slots in the MotoGP championship performed by Dorna. Dorna is the company in charge of managing the championship and decides unilaterally what teams can compete in the championship. After the exit of the championship of Suzuki at the end of the 2022 season, KTM applied to acquire the two slots left vacant to start a new independent team for the 2024 season. However, Dorna rejected this application unilaterally. This can be regarded as an abuse of dominance by Dorna (it would be saving on the subsidies the company provides to the MotoGP teams) or as a hub-and-spoke cartel formed with the independent MotoGP teams, who benefit from the reduction in slots by being able to charge more to the sponsors (less motorbikes in the grid means less real estate for sponsors to advertise). Regarding this last hypothesis, Carmelo Ezpeleta put it as follows to the press: "Independent teams have rights and value that they would not have if you gave everyone who arrived a motorcycle". Other markets affected by the decision by Dorna are the ones for MotoGP riders (relatedly, they are in talks to start a union), for technical staff and the spectacle as a whole (I would argue that a race with 22 bikes is less enjoyable than one with 24). I am sharing here the report I submitted to the EU for anyone to check: https://lnkd.in/dDzmCRwY Disclaimer: I do not have any current or past links with any of the parties involved in the matter. I am just a fan of motorcycle racing concerned about the sport. #antitrust #monopoly #Dorna #MotoGP

World Superbikes – Will Jonathan Rea Grab a Super 7th? The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series got underway (eventually) with the Daytona 500 on Monday. F1 2024 bursts into life next week. However, this weekend it’s the 2-wheel stars who take centre stage as the World Superbikes season launches at the famous Phillip Island Circuit in Australia. Unlike MotoGP, the bikes ridden in the WorldSBK competition are souped-up road-going models which can used by the general public. So, whereas MotoGP can be compared to Formula 1, i.e purpose build machines, WorldSBK in contrast is similar to sports car racing. #WorldSBK #WorldSuperbikes #JonathanRea #AlvaroBautista #MotoGP #Eurosport #PhillipIsland #Yahama #Ducati #Kawasaki #FIM https://lnkd.in/eX9euCqe

🏍️ Liberty Media Acquires MotoGP: A Game-Changing $4.2 Billion Deal 🏎️ Liberty Media, the proud owner of Formula 1 since 2017, has just made a groundbreaking move by acquiring MotoGP in a monumental $4.2 billion deal. Established in 1949, MotoGP stands as the pinnacle of motorbike racing, featuring thrilling races across 18 countries in the 2024 season. With 22 races on the calendar, including the upcoming United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas on April 14th, the adrenaline-fueled action is set to captivate fans worldwide. Under this deal, Liberty Media secures an 86% stake in Dorna Sports, the parent company of MotoGP, while the current management retains a 14% share. Moreover, Dorna also holds exclusive rights to MotoGP feeder series Moto2 and Moto3, along with MotoE, the Superbike World Championship, and the FIM Women’s Motorcycling World Championship. The transaction, pending regulatory clearances, is slated for completion by the end of 2024, with Carmelo Ezpeleta remaining at the helm as CEO. Liberty Media's President and CEO, Greg Maffei, expressed excitement about expanding their portfolio with MotoGP, highlighting its global appeal and promising growth potential. Ezpeleta echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the value and growth prospects of MotoGP under Liberty's stewardship. With their proven track record in sports development, Liberty Media emerges as the ideal partner to propel MotoGP to new heights and engage fans worldwide. Get ready for an exhilarating ride as MotoGP enters a new era! #MotoGP #LibertyMedia #RevvingUpTheFuture 🌍🏁

Putting the rest of the MotoGP puzzle together. In what has been undoubtedly the most manic rider market in perhaps even the history of MotoGP, there are still a handful of spots left to fill. These seats are namely at Trackhouse Aprilia, LCR Honda and Pramac (who make the switch to Yamaha). Though it is yet to be officially, announced, Fermin Aledguir is a Gresini rider in all but confirmation. While Miguel Oliveira seems to be the odds-on bet for the lead seat at Pramac, there isn’t a clear indicator of who will partner the Portuguese rider. It was speculated that either Alonso Lopez or Sergio Garcia could make the step up from Moto2. Both riders have had strong Moto2 campaigns thus far. There have been flashes of brilliance from Lopez, whilst Garcia has been the dark horse of Moto2 this year, the Spaniard currently a top the Moto2 standings. However, it has been reported by Motorsport.com’s Dutch site that the title sponsor of Pramac, Prima, wants neither Lopez nor Garcia on their bikes next season. This is reportedly due to the company wanting an Italian rider to fill at least one of the vacant spots. Tony Arbolino’s name has been thrown into the ring as a potential candidate for stepping onto the satellite Yamaha next year. Despite a difficult season, that has yielded the best of a 6th thus far, the Italian may have to find an increase in form to get his name on the dotted line. Another struggling rider in potential contention for the second Pramac seat is Jack Miller. The four-time race winner has had a bruising second season in orange, so much so that he was dropped in favour of rookie Acosta before the midway point of the year. Though Miller had previously stated that he hadn’t had a single offer, it was rumoured that Ducati had offered him Alvaro Bautista’s World Superbike seat. With still no confirmation of plans for next year from Bautista, a return to red could be an option for the Australian. Remy Gardner has also been linked to moving into the Pramac outfit, in what would be a return to the GP paddock. The Australian has been looking like the strongest Yamaha rider in World Superbikes this season, stepping onto the podium back in Assen. Gardner has made two GP appearances already this season, filling in for Alex Rins in Germany before taking over an injured Cal Crutchlow’s spot at the British GP. So, with at least some experience of the M1, Gardner could be a solid option for a second rider. It’s not just Pramac that has a spot that needs filling, as Trackhouse Aprilia are still searching for a rider to partner Raul Fernandez next season. After a pretty stellar start to his campaign, the smart money would have been on American Joe Roberts, seeing that it is an American-owned team...... https://lnkd.in/emetN2r8

New Post: How to watch Formula E online for free - https://lnkd.in/gEBS8DSW - TL;DR: Stream Formula E qualifying and races live for free on Servus TV. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN. Formula 1 gets most of the attention in the world of motorsport, but F1 has felt increasingly predictable in recent years. We're hoping that will all change in 2024, but just in case things remain the same, an alternative option might be required. You could consider making the switch to two wheels, but for something a little more familiar, we recommend checking out Formula E. This exhilarating sport is the future, and you can follow all the action from the 10th season without spending anything at all.If you are interested in watching Formula E for free from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.What is Formula E?Formula E is a single-seater motorsport championship for electric cars. The series was conceived in 2011 by then-FIA president Jean Todt and Spanish businessman Alejandro Agag. The inaugural championship race was held in Beijing in September 2014.The current drivers' champion is Jake Dennis. Envision Racing are the current team's champion.When is the next Formula E race?The 2024 Formula season features 16 rounds held all over the world between January and July:Round 1 — Hankook Mexico City E-Prix on Jan. 13Round 2 — Diriyah E-Prix on Jan. 26Round 3 — Diriyah E-Prix on Jan. 27Round 4 — São Paulo E-Prix on March 16Round 5 — Tokyo E-Prix on March 30Round 6 — Misano Adriatico E-Prix on April 13Round 7 — Misano Adriatico E-Prix on April 14Round 8 — Monaco E-Prix on April 27Round 9 — Berlin E-Prix on May 11Round 10 — Berlin E-Prix on May 12Round 11 — Shanghai E-Prix on May 25Round 12 — Shanghai E-Prix on May 26Round 13 — Portland E-Prix on June 29Round 14 — Portland E-Prix on June 30Round 15 — London E-Prix on July 20Round 16 — London E-Prix on July 21Keep these dates in mind, because you can watch races for free with a quick and easy hack.How to watch Formula E for freeThere are many broadcasters offering coverage of this Formula E season, but most of these options are not free. The good news is that Austria's ServusTV will show every qualifying session and race for free. ServusTV is geo-restricted to Austria, but anyone can access this popular streaming platform with a VPN. These powerful tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Austria. This simple process means you can access ServusTV from anywhere in the world.Unblock ServusTV by following these steps:Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)Open up the app and connect to a server in AustriaConnect to ServusTVWatch Formula E qualifying and races from anywhere in the world