MotoGP faces a pivotal moment as industry leaders advocate for expanding beyond its racing core to focus on MotoGP entertainment and fan engagement. Recent statements indicate that sport decision-makers see increased entertainment offerings as vital to securing a broader audience and a sustainable future for the series.
Broadening Horizons: Entertainment as Key to Growth
Davide Brivio, principal of the Trackhouse MotoGP team and a figure who has achieved success with both Yamaha and Suzuki, as well as in Formula 1, argues that MotoGP’s future depends on its willingness to see itself not just as a sport but also as an entertainment brand. Brivio’s return to MotoGP with Trackhouse in 2024 has coincided with debates about the series’ trajectory after Liberty Media acquired majority control of Dorna, the championship’s rights holder, in June of last year.
Despite the acquisition, Brivio observes little immediate change on a practical level.
“We know that Liberty became the biggest shareholder of Dorna. But in reality, we continue working with Dorna, with Carmelo, with Carlos Espeleta, with all the same people,”
Brivio told Crash.net. However, ambitions for growth are clear, as highlighted by Carlos Ezpeleta, Dorna’s chief sporting officer, who has articulated objectives to reduce MotoGP’s strong European focus and bring the sport into new domains—ranging from fashion and music to public spaces like airports and supermarkets.
Shifting the Focus Beyond the Track
Ezpeleta has outlined anticipated updates such as the 2027 technical rules, expected to lead to
“safer bikes, more entertaining [races], more overtaking”
while emphasizing,
“the bigger growth is going to come from the stuff that happens outside the track.”
This shift is intended to boost rider profiles, draw in non-traditional sponsors, and ultimately attract a larger, more diverse global fanbase.
Balancing Sporting Tradition and Audience Expansion
Brivio, responding to Ezpeleta’s comments, underscored the importance of distinguishing between improving the sporting content and the necessity of engaging new and larger audiences.
“Let’s say the sporting side is fine,”
Brivio stated. He pointed out that MotoGP is already appealing to dedicated fans but suggested that adaptation is essential to lure new countries and demographics, enhance fan engagement, and draw public attention. Brivio acknowledged potential concerns from diehard enthusiasts, saying,
“Maybe the pure passionate sports people don’t like to hear this, but in reality, in the modern era, sport is also an entertainment.”
He called for a thoughtful approach:
“So we have to look also from this point of view; what we need to do to make MotoGP entertain more people.”
Brivio is careful to stress that enhancing entertainment need not jeopardize the series’ racing authenticity.
“The MotoGP races, for us who are stakeholders or people strongly passionate about motorcycle racing, are fine. You can watch and enjoy the sport,”
he said. Brivio also highlighted the untapped market among people who may not consider themselves ardent fans but could be attracted to the MotoGP experience.
“But then we have to open up to more people. People who maybe are not crazy about MotoGP, but could still come to see a MotoGP race, visit the paddock and enjoy the atmosphere,”
he explained.
Learning from Other Sports: Atmosphere and Appeal
Brivio drew parallels to global sports like football and basketball, noting,
“That’s what sport is becoming: It’s also an entertainment.”
Modern sports events, he observed, attract attendees not solely for the action but also for the vibrant atmosphere, community, and shared experiences. Drawing comparisons to stadium environments and NBA games in the United States, where families engage in a broader entertainment event, Brivio maintained that MotoGP could similarly attract and satisfy a wider range of spectators.
He further commented on the ongoing shift:
“We have to increase this part, which in the past a year or so, Dorna has started to look at much more: More attention on creating interesting entertainment as well as just the sport of motorcycle racing.”
Looking to the future, he insisted that innovation in fan engagement is necessary for MotoGP’s continued relevance and solvency.
“Because this is how we can, I think, survive. This is how we can justify going around the world, racing. This is how the sport can become [economically] sustainable,”
Brivio concluded.
Ducati’s Perspective: The Entertainment Imperative
Brivio’s argument finds support in the views of industry executives like Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati. After Liberty Media’s involvement, Domenicali described a shift in identity for MotoGP manufacturers.
“It’s a very, very exciting moment,”
Domenicali said. He continued,
“It’s a very, very exciting moment,”
—emphasizing that Ducati and its peers increasingly see themselves as entertainment companies rather than simple vehicle manufacturers. In recent years, he noted, efforts have focused on generating close racing and engaged fan experiences, but the potential audience remains much larger.
Looking to Formula 1 as an example—particularly its strong growth in the American market—Domenicali sees similar opportunity for MotoGP to dramatically expand its reach. He summed up the potential,
“The potential for all the MotoGP teams to really engage and create a bigger fanbase, if we work together, is fantastic.”
The Road Ahead for MotoGP
The conversation about MotoGP entertainment and fan engagement marks more than a philosophical shift; it is emerging as a practical imperative as the championship seeks broader worldwide relevance. Figures such as Valentino Rossi, Joan Mir, Carlos Ezpeleta, Claudio Domenicali, and Carmelo are central to this transition. With Trackhouse and other teams attuned to these priorities, fans—longstanding and new—could soon experience more ways to connect with the series, both on and off the track.
While MotoGP’s core remains rooted in high-speed competition and engineering excellence, its leaders are now challenging the sport to evolve its public face, welcoming not only racing devotees but also families, casual fans, and those simply seeking an exciting day out. Whether this approach will deliver the sustained growth anticipated remains to be seen, but the call for action is ringing out clearly across the paddock.
