If you are an American who was hoping to see motorcycle racing on basic cable, we have bad news for you all three major series – MotoGP, World Superbike, and MotoAmerica – will air exclusively on the premium TV network beIN Sports this year.
The deal with beIN Sports mimics similar deals we have seen Dorna cut elsewhere abroad, where the media rights holder of both MotoGP and World Superbike favors deals with premium television companies over basic broadcast stations.
These deals usually mean more money for Dorna, though come with the downside of fewer viewers for the sport of motorcycle racing.
Certainly not the news that racing fans wanted to hear, one silver lining to this announcement is that at least motorcycle enthusiasts will only have to purchase one channel to get their motorcycle racing fix.
For more good news, beIN Sports seems committed to bringing more than just the race track action to fans each weekend, with complementary programming mentioned in its coverage.
For the MotoAmerica paddock, the news should be met with warmer regard, as the American series finally has a TV package again. Hopefully MotoAmerica being packaged together with MotoGP and WSBK will mean a strong production value and more viewers for the recovering series.
“The agreement reached between Dorna and BeIN in the USA and Canada is important for the success and development of motorcycle racing in North America,” added Manel Arroyo, Managing Director of TV & Media Area at Dorna Sports. “BeIN will become the home of the top road racing series, as on top of MotoGP and WorldSBK they will start airing MotoAmerica this season.”
“It’s great news for the fans in the US and Canada to have the coverage they deserve. We also know that BeIN is going to offer viewers unparalleled comprehensive broadcasting with studio presentations and onsite presence at the US rounds of both World Series. In addition, we are thrilled to have MotoGP aired in Spanish in USA for the 1st time, expanding the reach of the sport to its maximum.”
Source: beIN Sports
Comments