EU: Liberty can buy MotoGP/Dorna
After several months of uncertainty, the EU has, finally and unconditionally, approved Colorado based Liberty Media's acquisition of the MotoGP and WorldSBK race series rights holder Dorna Sports of Madrid.
The subject of some controversy, and a saga with historic resonance arising from Liberty's acquisition of Formula 1 some years ago, the acquisition brings together the two premier motorsports world championships that the EU competition watchdog had previously forced apart.
Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna since 1998, will continue to run MotoGP along with his management team. Liberty will acquire 84% of MotoGP rights holder Dorna Sports, with MotoGP management retaining 16%.
Liberty Media Corporation operates and owns interests in media, sports and entertainment businesses, including its subsidiaries Formula 1 and Quint, its interest in Live Nation, and other minority investments.
In the United States there is already talk of one likely end result of the acquisition ultimately being the start of a program of F1 and MotoGP weekend Double Headers at select venues on high profile dates. It can be no coincidence that Harley-Davidson recently struck a deal with Dorna for the start of a Bagger Racing World Championship with rounds initially being staged at some four or five MotoGP events in Europe and USA. In the medium term, expect more GotoGP races in the USA.
