Highlight Reel: MotoGP Revving up for Change with Liberty Media at the Wheel 🏍️
Plus, Women's Super League TV deal stalls and Fulham create a ‘premium experience unlike anything in football’
Welcome to Sports Pundit, the sports business newsletter delivering insights from across the industry.
In today’s email;
Liberty Media Agrees Deal for MotoGP 🏍️
Women’s Super League TV Deal Stalls 📺
Watching Premier League Matches Poolside 🏊
Thanks to Peer for coming on the Podcast - and thanks to everyone who has listened and shared feedback!
Remember, if you’re in Manchester or Los Angeles, there are events happening on Wednesday (17th) - and in London on the 24th!
Happy Friday!
Andy 😊 🙏
P.S. Remember to get your Women’s Six Nations predictions in ahead of the weekend.
The Highlight Reel is brought to you by the Global Institute of Sport!
The Global Institute of Sport is the leading destination for Master's degrees, executive education and professional qualifications in sport around the world.
They count world-famous stadiums and surrounding venues among their state-of-the-art campus facilities across the globe, including London's Wembley Stadium, Miami's DRV PNK Stadium and Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Ready to master the global sports industry? Enquire today about their in-person and online courses.
WINNING FORMULA
MotoGP Revving up for Change with Liberty Media at the Wheel 🏍️
Liberty Media, the owner of Formula 1, has finalised a deal to purchase Dorna Sports, the rights holder for MotoGP and WSBK, in a transaction valued at £3.6 billion.
Rumours of an impending agreement had been circulating within the MotoGP community for weeks before this was formally revealed earlier this week.
By acquiring an 86% stake in Dorna, Liberty Media now controls the leading entities in the world of international motorcycle racing - *pending regulatory approval.
So, what could this mean for the sport?
Shauna Wu (Director of Sponsorship & Brand Activations at Smartsheet) has expertly laid out a few of the potential outcomes she sees from Liberty Media’s touted ownership;
What she said:
“Increased Global Exposure: With Liberty Media's expertise, MotoGP could see enhanced broadcasting deals and innovative marketing strategies, leading to greater global exposure for the sport.
Improved Fan Engagement: Expect initiatives aimed at enhancing the fan experience, from interactive digital platforms to behind-the-scenes access, drawing inspiration from Liberty Media's successes in Formula 1 (see: Netflix’s Drive to Survive, F1 Arcade, F1 Drive, and Formula 1’s upcoming Hollywood movie).
Technological Advancements: MotoGP could benefit from advancements in broadcast technology, data analytics, and safety innovations, all aimed at taking the sport to new heights .
Expansion of the MotoGP Calendar: We might see MotoGP races popping up in new and exciting locations, mirroring the expansion strategies seen in other motorsports properties under Liberty Media's ownership.
Synergies with Other Motorsports Properties: The acquisition could lead to synergies between MotoGP and other Liberty Media-owned properties, opening up possibilities for cross-promotion and shared resources.
Potential Changes in Governance and Regulation: Keep an eye out for potential shifts in governance and regulations within MotoGP, which could impact various stakeholders in the sport.
Investment in Youth Development: With Liberty Media at the helm, we could see increased investment in grassroots initiatives and youth development programs (see: F1 Academy), nurturing the next generation of MotoGP talent.”
Not yet a subscriber? Join over 2,000 sports business leaders, from Formula 1 to the Premier League, that read Sports Pundit every week to get impactful industry insights.
HIGHLIGHTS
Talent agency Endeavor to go private in $13bn deal with Silver Lake, which has agreed to pay $27.50 per share in cash for the Hollywood powerhouse 💸
Arctos Partners second sports team investment fund has amassed more than $4.1 billion 💰
Yahoo Sports and OneFootball team up to establish innovative soccer content hub for US and Canada 📱
As part of Saudi Arabia’s latest foray in global sport, Riyadh is set to host the women’s WTA Finals tennis tournament for next 3 years 🎾
Gujarat Titans have added a total of 30 sponsors for the IPL 2024 season while it continues to march towards turning profitable and ramping up the brand value 🏏
To inspire more women into the field of sports technology TeamViewer has announced the launch of SheSportTech, in collaboration with Man United and Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team 💪
STOPPAGE TIME
Women’s Super League Unable to Score New Bumper Rights Deal ⚽️
The BBC and Sky Sports will retain their live broadcasting rights for the Women’s Super League (WSL) for the upcoming season, with plans to extend the current rights agreement for another year, according to The Telegraph.
Sources indicate that this one-year extension serves to provide all involved parties additional time to negotiate a more comprehensive domestic television rights contract that would extend beyond 2025.
This winter saw the WSL’s domestic television rights become available for bidding. It’s understood that the BBC, Sky, TNT Sports, and the streaming service DAZN were contenders in the bidding process. However, no new agreement has been finalised and so this temporary solution has been agreed upon to bridge the gap.
For David Murray, an experienced sport rights and negotiation advisor, this news may change the approach of investors into women’s football, at least in the short-term.
What he said:
“The rapid recent growth of women's football in the UK seems to have hit its first hurdle. With the WSL expecting to double its rights fee, it has settled for a one year extension to its current deal with the BBC and Sky. In other words the broadcasters were not prepared to increase their fees to an acceptable level. So the WSL has kicked the can down the road for a year to allow "NewCo" to try again. Unless TNT or another pay operator enters the market, it is difficult to see things changing greatly. The UK advertising market is dead which makes it difficult for ITV, Channel 4 or Channel 5 to take on a new property. And I suspect women's football doesn't move the dial much on Sky Sports subscriptions.
When the market is flat, the product needs to change to generate additional value. Imaginative kick off times and more derby games in the main stadiums are obvious steps. Saturday 3pm kickoff may need to be revisited. But if women's football rights are now trending similar to mens (ie flat), that is a huge worry given the expectations of outperforming men's for some time to come. Aggressive team investment by some on the assumption of rapid growth may ultimately need to be scaled back.”
FURTHER READING
Sports will change more in the next 20 years than they have in the last 200 By Greg Isenberg ⛳️
How to score $200m: Angel City’s playbook for women’s soccer By Reid Hoffman, Masters of Scale ⚽️
Why not sell major league baseball teams to their fans? By Daniel Pink, Washington Post ⚾️
Inside Fulham’s Riverside Stand, the ‘premium experience unlike anything in football’ By Frank Dalleres, CityAM 🏟️
PLL Investing in Grassroots Division to Grow Lax Participation, Team Fandom By JohnWallStreet 🥍
The Brooklyn Nets is now a fashion brand By Madeleine Schulz, Vogue Business 🏀
THE PODCAST
Want to hear more from my conversation with Peer?
We discuss Peer’s Journey to the Bundesliga, the arrival of England captain Harry Kane, the launch of Fortuna for All, appealing to the US soccer fan, the NFL and playing internationally, overcoming the language problem, and much much more.
Listen to the full podcast via the link below - and I’d love to hear what you think!👇
The Sports Pundit Social Club (SPSC) was designed to enable you to hang out with other readers (i.e. exceptional folk from across the industry) without the heavy cost that often goes with traditional sports industry events.
This month, we’ve got events in London, Manchester, and New York, but first you need to be part of the Social Club. Join the WhatsApp Group and introduce yourself in the ‘SP Intro’ channel in order to get access to the latest events 👇
JOB BOARD
Marketing Executive, Premium - Tottenham Hotspur (London, UK)
Head of Business Management - The FA (London, UK)
Insight Manager - Formula E (London, UK)
Partner Marketing Specialist - National Basketball Association (NBA) (New York, US)
Executive Director, Loyalty Programming - New York Mets (New York, US)
Do you have a job you’d like to promote to the amazing readers of this newsletter? Email me 📩
Today’s Newsletter is brought to you by the Global Institute of Sport!
The Global Institute of Sport is the leading destination for Master's degrees, executive education and professional qualifications in sport around the world.
They count world-famous stadiums and surrounding venues among their state-of-the-art campus facilities across the globe, including London's Wembley Stadium, Miami's DRV PNK Stadium and Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Ready to master the global sports industry? Enquire today about their in-person and online courses.
Not yet a subscriber? Join over 2,000 sports business leaders, from Formula 1 to the Premier League, that read Sports Pundit every week to get impactful industry insights.