The European Commission has given Formula 1 owner Liberty Media the unconditional approval for its €4 billion acquisition of Dorna Sports, which owns MotoGP, Afrosport reports.
Liberty Media announced its plan to take over 84% of Dorna, the commercial rights holders of MotoGP, for €4.3 billion on an enterprise value basis, and an equity value of €3.7 billion.
Such a deal was however going to go through regulators of the European Union for any potential anti-competition concerns.
The European commission, in a statement on Monday, said the decision to give the clearance followed a lengthy probe which examined whether the acquisition would reduce competition for the licensing of sports content broadcasting rights.
“Based on the evidence gathered, the Commission found that on such markets the companies are not close competitors for the licensing of broadcasting rights for sports content,” the commission said in a statement per Reuters.
“Therefore, the transaction will not remove important competitive constraints between Formula 1 and MotoGP.”
Meanwhile, Liberty Media CEO Derek Chang welcomed the EU’s clearance and is thrilled by the potential growth of MotoGP the near future.
“Today’s approval from the European Commission marks the final condition to closing Liberty’s acquisition of MotoGP,” Chang said.
“MotoGP is a highly attractive premium sports asset with incredible racing, a passionate fanbase and a strong cash flow profile. We believe the sport and brand have significant growth potential, which we will look to realize through deepening the connection with the core fan base and expanding to a wider global audience.”
European Commission approves Liberty Media’s acquisition of MotoGP™
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— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) June 23, 2025
MotoGP, the leading motorcycle racing championship in the world, is now poised to benefit from F1’s immense digital blueprint which has seen growth from less than 10 million followers before Liberty’s take over in 2017, to currently over 60 million users across all social media platforms.
