In 2017, Liberty Media acquired Formula 1, starting a new era for the championship. MotoGP could be the next target for the American conglomerate, what would place the premier categories of both automobile and motorcycle racing under the same ownership for the first time in history.
The economic newspaper Expansión reports that Liberty Media is already in negotiations with Bridgepoint for a possible acquisition of Dorna Sports – the promoter of MotoGP as well as the World Superbike Championship. The value of the company, led by Carmelo Ezpeleta, is estimated at 4,000 euros, and offers below this figure will not be accepted.
Liberty Media is not alone in its interest, despite Dorna Sports not being officially up for sale: there is purported interest from Amazon, Disney, and Netflix, as well as from capital funds CVC and KKR. At the end of last year, Ezpeleta told La Repubblica that negotiations for a sale were underway, although it was not certain that it would have to happen. Bridgepoint has been the majority shareholder of Dorna since 2006.