The European Commission announced an in-depth investigation into Liberty Media’s €3.5 billion acquisition of MotoGP rights holder Dorna Sports, citing potential harm to competition in the broadcasting market for motorsports.
Liberty Media, the U.S.-based owner of Formula One, revealed plans in April to acquire Dorna Sports, the commercial rights holder for the MotoGP World Championship, as part of a deal valuing MotoGP at €4.2 billion. The EU enforcer launched its probe after Liberty Media notified the merger in mid-November.
“By acquiring Dorna Sports, Liberty Media would hold the commercial rights to two of the most popular motorsports in Europe: Formula One and MotoGP. We need to more carefully assess whether this acquisition could negatively affect European broadcasters, for example in terms of increased license fees,” stated EU Competition Commissioner Teresa Ribera.
The Commission is concerned that owning both Formula One and MotoGP rights could allow Liberty Media to exploit its market dominance, potentially raising prices for broadcasting rights and reducing competition in motorsport and broader sports content markets across Europe.
Liberty Media has expressed ambitions to grow MotoGP’s global presence. “The business has significant upside, and we intend to grow the sport for MotoGP fans, teams, commercial partners, and our shareholders,” said CEO Greg Maffei in April.
The EU Commission has 90 days to determine if the acquisition complies with EU merger rules.
