Liberty given “unconditional” green light for MotoGP acquisition by European Commission

The European Commission has given the green light for Liberty Media to acquire MotoGP promoter Dorna more than a year after the deal was first announced.

In an official statement released this afternoon, the European Commission announced its approval of Liberty Media’s acquisition of Dorna “without conditions.”

“The Commission has unconditionally approved the proposed acquisition of Dorna Sports by Liberty Media Corporation under the EU Merger Regulation. The Commission concluded that the transaction will not raise competition concerns in the European Economic Area (EEA),” the official statement said.

“Today’s decision follows an in-depth investigation of the proposed transaction. Liberty Media and Dorna are both international media companies. Liberty Media holds stakes in a wide range of media, sports, and entertainment companies, including the Formula 1 motor racing competition. Dorna is the organizer and commercial rights holder of the Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing World Championship (MotoGP).

“According to Liberty Media, the transaction will enable it to leverage its expertise in media, sports, and entertainment – Formula 1 included – to increase MotoGP’s popularity and appeal,” the statement continued.

This procedure was the final hurdle before the acquisition of 86% of the Spanish company could be completed. Liberty, which owns the commercial rights to F1, will pay around $4.2billion.

Dorna’s top management, led by Carmelo Ezpeleta and Enrique Aldama, will retain the remaining 14% of the company.

Last Saturday in Mugello, Dorna organised a photo with the owners of the 11 teams in the premier class, alongside Ezpeleta. That image will likely be used to illustrate the impending change in ownership. 

Although the acquisition agreement was announced in April 2024, the European Commission’s involvement delayed the purchase. 

In December, the competition watchdog announced the opening of an “in-depth investigation” into the sale due to concerns that the deal could place Liberty Media in a dominant position in the European race broadcasting rights market, which could ultimately lead to increased consumer prices.

At the same time, the inquiry also sought to determine whether the influence of John Malone – main shareholder of both Liberty Media and Liberty Global – might exclude rival broadcasters in countries where Liberty operates, such as Belgium, Ireland, and the Netherlands.

The deadline for this investigation expired on 14 May, and the decision had to be made public before 1 July.

Ai Ogura, Trackhouse Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

In April, both the Capital Forum, a financial news agency, and Reuters reported that the European Commission intended to approve the acquisition – something that was expected to be made official this same week. Autosport understands that the delay came as Brussels believed the decision it reached could set legal precedent for similar future acquisitions.

Now that the acquisition has been confirmed, executives from both sides will create a joint working group aimed at expanding MotoGP across all levels and territories. Although there have already been meetings between both parties, the first joint sessions to define the new operations are expected to take place in Madrid, Dorna’s financial headquarters, during the second week of July.

Liberty’s arrival should put an end to the uncertainty that has spread through most of Dorna’s departments over the past year. One of the most exposed areas is the commercial division, which is responsible for selling TV rights, tickets, advertising and sponsorship space. The division also generates visibility for the series and, essentially, promotes the championship.

“The business has significant growth potential, and we aim to drive the sport’s growth for MotoGP fans, teams, commercial partners, and shareholders,” Liberty stated in April last year.

The prevailing sentiment among Dorna’s top brass is that MotoGP is an exceptional product that has yet to fully realise its commercial potential. To address this, the key areas of focus for the new owners will be to increase its reach and penetrate strategic markets – such as the United States – to boost TV audiences and attract major sponsors.

This is precisely what has allowed F1 to exponentially grow in popularity, with initiatives like Drive to Survive, the Netflix documentary series that has boosted interest in the series around the world, or the recently released Hollywood production F1: The Movie, starring Brad Pitt.