Liberty Media is about to add MotoGP to its business portfolio alongside Formula 1. The acquisition of the entity promoting the premier class of motorcycle racing, Dorna Sports, may be just a few days away, at a value exceeding four billion euros.
Rumors have been circulating since the end of last year. Now, the prestigious Financial Times reports that the sports and entertainment group TKO had a proposal rejected, while Qatar Sports Investments seems to have not pursued their expression of interest.
At this moment, the acquisition of Dorna Sports from Bridgepoint by Liberty Media seems very close to being finalized. An agreement could be announced as soon as next week, after Easter. F1 and MotoGP had the same owner until 2006 – at that time CVC Capital Partners, who had to sell MotoGP in 2006 due to European Union competition laws.
Therefore, it is expected that a Liberty Media agreement to acquire MotoGP will also face intense scrutiny. If the acquisition goes through, the American conglomerate will seek to replicate in the premier class of motorcycle racing the exponential growth it has brought to F1 since acquiring the championship rights in 2017.