MotoGP’s Move Toward Pay-TV

Pay-TV is where the future of broadcasting is, said Dorna Sports Media Managing Dir Manel Arroyo. Ahead of the '14 season, Dorna Sports, the rights holder of MotoGP, signed several deals with pay-TV operators in some of the sport's most important markets such as Spain, Italy and the U.K.

Arroyo said that MotoGP's move toward pay-TV simply follows the path of the industry. He said, "The biggest sports, the biggest content and the premium content are on pay-TV. We are proud of the switch." The series is now on the same platforms as other premium sports.

In the U.K., BT Sport, which also holds exclusive Premier League rights, acquired MotoGP TV rights in a five-year deal prior to this season. The deal ended a decade of coverage on the BBC. Arroyo told SBD Global that the switch is also caused by the way Dorna is managing the sport. He said that the series is focused on interacting with the viewers and that is only possible on pay-TV platforms.

Arroyo: "Today it’s all about multi feeds, bid data, interactivity through social networks with the viewers and that is what we are looking for." HJ Mai/SportsBusiness Global