- A return to WBD-owned TNT Sports cannot be ruled out
- Viewership for 2024 season appears to be ‘meager’ on TruTV
MotoGP is evaluating its next media rights deal in the US as it searches for a breakthrough in the country ahead of its takeover by Formula One owner Liberty Media, according to Sports Business Journal (SBJ).
Last season, the global motorcycling series secured a deal with Warner Bros Discovery (WBD)-owned TNT Sports that sees every race of the 2024 season shown live on TruTV and Max’s B/R Sports add-on.
SBJ reports that Fox Sports has emerged as a potential landing spot for MotoGP in 2025 but a return to WBD cannot be ruled out.
BlackBook Motorsport understands that there are many conversations ongoing over broadcast plans for the series, but Fox Sports has been the most aggressive and committed in discussions.
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“We were new to [WBD], they were trying to put sports on TruTV, we’re looking at how we can tweak it going forward,” MotoGP’s chief commercial officer Dan Rossomondo told SBJ.
“I think having so many live windows was fantastic, having a weekday re-air was great. I think now we have to … work together on how we can tap into their entire ecosystem. I think Warner Brothers getting more motorsports this summer [with Nascar] would help as well.”
From this year, TNT Sports will stream five midseason races from the Nascar Cup Series after securing Nascar coverage for the first time since 2014.
Despite Nascar team Trackhouse Racing expanding into MotoGP last season, the series has struggled to make its mark in the US. MotoGP has just one race in the country (at the Circuit of The Americas) compared to Formula One’s three visits (Miami, Austin and Las Vegas).
The ratings picture for MotoGP’s 2024 season on TNT Sports is currently unclear, but SBJ reports that it appears to be meager on TruTV.
But the series has made moves to reposition itself ahead of a wider expansion with Liberty Media waiting in the wings. Kelly Brittain was hired as MotoGP’s new managing director of global marketing, with the series also undergoing a branding overhaul which included a new logo.
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