The owner of Formula 1, Liberty Media, is in exclusive talks to buy the company that owns the rights to Motogp for more than 4,000 million euros, in a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a unc Do That Would Unite The Elite Automobile and Motorcycle Racing Series, Seg Push Adlata This Wednesday Financial Times. The company, which is chaired by telecommunications and entertainment billionaire John Malone, the sports and entertainment group run by Hollywood power broker Ari Emanuel, the people said.
Any pact will have to face regulatory scrutiny. The CVC Capital Partners fund once owned both F1 and MotoGP, was forced to sell the motorcycle series in 2006 as a condition of buying the prestigious motorsports competition after European Union competition regulators raised concerns. Along these lines, CVC sold F1 to Liberty in 2017 in a deal valued at $8 billion.
According to information from the British media, the giant resulting from this business absorption suggests that competition regulators will be very close to the operation. Bridgepoint and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board are Dorna’s largest shareholders. Dorna’s management, including CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta, are also shareholders. Ezpeleta has led Dorna for 30 years, mirroring how Bernie Ecclestone dominated F1 for decades.
Buying MotoGP would give Liberty Media, led by CEO Greg Maffei, the opportunity to demonstrate that its success in growing F1’s popularity was not an isolated event. Like F1, MotoGP’s business model revolves around broadcast rights, race circuit fees, sponsorship, corporate hospitality and merchandising. Under Liberty, F1 has made promoting the sport on social media a priority and given Netflix unprecedented access to make the Drive to Survive reality series.
F1’s operating profit rose 64% to $392 million in 2023 from a year earlier, while revenue rose to $3.2 billion from $2.5 billion. FOR ITS PART, Dorna’S REVENUES TOTALED 483 MILLION EUROS IN 2023. Bridgepoint, Which Has Been A Dorna Shareholder For 18 Years, Owns Approximately 40% OF THE BUSINESS WHICH BURGED AT AN EMPRESARIAL VALUE OF 550 MILLION IN 2006. CPPIB BOUGHT ITS 39% stake in Dorna to Bridgepoint in 2012.
