Liberty Media Corporation (Nasdaq: FWONA, FWONK) is to acquire Dorna Sports, S.L., the exclusive commercial rights holder to the MotoGP™ World Championship, from Bridgepoint and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board.
Liberty Media will acquire 86% of MotoGP with MotoGP management retaining approximately 14% of their equity in the business. The transaction reflects an enterprise value for MotoGP of €4.2 billion and an equity value of €3.5 billion with the existing debt balance at MotoGP expected to remain in place after close. The equity consideration to sellers is expected to be comprised of approximately 65% cash, 21% in shares of Series C Liberty Formula One common stock (Nasdaq: FWONK) and 14% of retained MotoGP management equity. The cash consideration will be funded with a mix of cash and debt, subject to market conditions.
The acquisition – expected to be completed by year-end 2024 and is subject to the receipt of clearances and approvals by competition and foreign investment law authorities in various jurisdictions – will expand Liberty Media’s portfolio of global sports assets, which also includes Formula One Group. MotoGP will be attributed to Liberty Media’s Formula One Group tracking stock.
Dorna Sports became the sole commercial and television rights holder of the FIM MotoGP™ World Championship in 1991. Based in Madrid, with premises in Barcelona and a subsidiary in Rome, Dorna is a leader in sports management, marketing and media, and has seen continued growth over the years, expanding from solely MotoGP™ to include other motorcycle racing championships across the globe. Dorna holds exclusive rights to MotoGP feeder series Moto2™ and Moto3™, MotoE™, the Superbike World Championship and the FIM Women’s Motorcycling World Championship.
MotoGP™ is the pinnacle of motorcycle racing, with 22 of the fastest riders competing on purpose-built prototype motorcycles on some of the world’s greatest racetracks. MotoGP features top speeds above 360 kilometers per hour (223 miles per hour) and lean angles of over 60 degrees. Since 1949, the sport has grown to comprise more than 20 Grands Prix across five continents, with the television broadcast reaching hundreds of millions around the world.
Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna since 1994, will continue to run the business headquartered in Madrid.
Liberty Media Corporation operates and owns interests in a broad range of media, communications and entertainment businesses. Those businesses are attributed to three tracking stock groups: the Liberty SiriusXM Group, the Formula One Group and the Liberty Live Group. The businesses and assets attributed to the Liberty SiriusXM Group (NASDAQ: LSXMA, LSXMB, LSXMK) include Liberty Media’s interest in SiriusXM. The businesses and assets attributed to the Formula One Group (NASDAQ: FWONA, FWONK) include Liberty Media’s subsidiaries Formula 1 and Quint, and other minority investments. The businesses and assets attributed to the Liberty Live Group (NASDAQ: LLYVA, LLYVK) include Liberty Media’s interest in Live Nation and other minority investments.
