F1 owners Liberty Media in talks to buy MotoGP rights holder Dorna
Dorna are not officially on the market, but are of interest to Liberty Media, the world's most valuable sports empire
Liberty Media, the owners of Formula 1, are reportedly in talks to acquire Dorna, the Spain-based rights holder of MotoGP.
Amazon, Netflix and Disney are also in the mix, according to Spanish business publication Expansion.
Liberty Media are reportedly talking to British asset fund management company Bridgepoint about acquiring Dorna.
CVC and KKR - major investment companies - are also interested in Dorna.
Dorna has not been put on the market by Bridgepoint, the report makes clear.
F1 owners Liberty Media are the world’s most valuable sports empire, according to Forbes last year.
They are valued at $18.2 billion.
Liberty Media took over F1 from Bernie Ecclestone in 2017.
They have overseen a boom in F1’s popularity ever since.
F1 is the crown jewel in the Liberty Media portfolio but taking over Dorna, and MotoGP, would mean they control two of the world’s top motorsports series.
Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta commented on rumours of a sale earlier this year.
“I confirm the rumours of sale, but I would like to know who is spreading them,” he told La Repubblica.
“Every day I receive two or three phone calls from credit institutions asking me if it is true that we are for sale.
“But the banks do not want to buy, they only offer themselves as intermediaries of the operation.
“I can only say that we are ready: we stayed with our first investors from 1998 to 2006: 8 years.
“Then came Bridgepoint, which made some changes and 17 more went through.
“Currently about 20% of Dorna is owned by its workers, and I have the majority; 39% are from Bridgepoint; 38% of a Canadian public fund.
“Anything can happen, at any time, but it hasn't happened yet.
“They certainly like the product and the formula works with the Sprints."
