MotoGP U.S. Rights Head to ESPN in Deal With Liberty Media

ESPN is back in business with Liberty Media. The sports media juggernaut has inked a deal to broadcast MotoGP, the motorcycle racing circuit owned by Liberty, beginning in 2027. It’s a two-year deal that will cover both the U.S. and Latin America, where ESPN already had MotoGP rights. MotoGP’s most recent U.S. rights were with Fox Sports, and they had previously been with Warner Bros. Discovery and NBC Sports. ESPN say that the races will air on all of ESPN’s platforms, as well as on Disney+. Liberty Media, which is led by Derek Chang, owns both MotoGP and Formula 1, which left ESPN this year to move its U.S. rights to Apple TV. Liberty bought MotoGP in 2024 at a $4.5 billion valuation with a goal of building it into a worldwide brand as it has done with F1. The U.S. market, for obvious reasons, is a top priority, so ESPN’s reach is seen as a boost to that effort. “This agreement with ESPN marks an important milestone in MotoGP’s growth strategy across the Americas,” said Carlos Ezpeleta, deputy CEO of MotoGP. “ESPN’s position as one of the world’s leading sports broadcasters, combined with its strong connection with audiences across the United States and Latin America, makes it the ideal platform for us to continue expanding MotoGP’s reach and bring the sport closer to millions of people. This is an exciting opportunity to introduce MotoGP to new audiences while continuing to serve our passionate existing fan base through one of the most influential sports media brands in the world.” “ESPN and MotoGP have a strong relationship that dates back nearly 25 years, when we began bringing the championship to fans across Latin America,” added Freddy Rolón, head of global sports & talent office for ESPN. “This is a great example of how relationships that begin in one region of our international business can grow across ESPN’s global portfolio, creating new opportunities to connect different audiences with world-class sporting events.”