F1 owner Liberty Media to confirm MotoGP takeover within days
Liberty Media could unveil MotoGP purchase as early as Monday
The takeover of MotoGP by Liberty Media, who also own F1, will reportedly be confirmed in the coming days.
Greg Maffei, the Liberty Media president and CEO, will confirm the €4bn-plus transaction before Wednesday this week, Sky News report.
Maffei could even announce the huge deal on Monday, on a trip to Madrid.
The deal will mean the two motorsport powerhouses - Formula 1 and MotoGP - are owned by the same company.
Last week, The Financial Times reported that any deal would face regulatory scrutiny. But it now appears that confirmation of a deal is just days away.
They also reported that Liberty Media's successful swoop edged out a rival bid from TKO, the company which lists WWE and UFC as big-name sports brands under its umbrella.
MotoGP’s rights are currently owned by Dorna. The Dorna shareholders are private equity firm Bridgepoint, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, and Dorna’s senior management.
Liberty Media, who Forbes rank as the world’s richest sports empire, took over F1 in 2016.
Through an enhanced focus on social media and the hugely popular Netflix show ‘Drive To Survive’, Liberty Media is credited with growing the popularity of F1.
They have added races in Las Vegas and Miami, as well as in Jeddah and Doha.
Taking over the premier motorcycle racing series in the world would represent a new opportunity to grow a championship’s popularity.
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
