MotoGP, the premier motorcycle-racing world championship, is focusing on enhancing the spectator experience after sealing a new partnership that promises to “usher in a new era of fan events”.
Dorna Sports, which organises MotoGP races worldwide, has struck a three-year agreement with NSN (Never say Never) to stage a series of events designed to offer a fresh perspective to fans.
NSN organised the OMG LaLiga Music Experience – a music festival in partnership with LaLiga, which operates the top two divisions of Spanish football – in Madrid in June.
Opening up the Awards
The agreement with MotoGP will include a range of fan-facing events, starting with a new-look annual MotoGP Awards ceremony later this year in Valencia. The reimagined event, which is likely to take place in November, will open its doors to fans for the first time and feature special guests and performances.
NSN will then organise fan-centred music events alongside MotoGP races for the duration of the agreement, providing the public with an opportunity to meet their heroes and enjoy music events in the evening over Grand Prix weekends.
The initiative has come at an important time for MotoGP, which said that the goal is to give newer audiences the chance to discover “the world’s most exciting motorsport… with action on and off track to offer a full weekend of incredible entertainment.”
The 2022 Global MotoGP Fan Survey found that two-thirds of the championship’s followers believe the sport needs to do more to attract new fans.
Carlos Ezpeleta, chief sporting officer at Dorna Sports, said: “A fan’s experience of a Grand Prix doesn’t pause when the bikes go back into pitlane, and we’ve already added some awesome extra experiences at the track – things like the Hero Walk, the Sprint podium, track invasions, the rider parade – to really maximise their experience. But there’s always more we can offer and we’re always thinking about how we can level it up.”
Enduring appeal
Attending MotoGP Grands Prix live has an enduring appeal for followers of the series. The 2022 Fan Survey found that two out of every five fans have been to a live race over the previous five years, while nearly a quarter had travelled to a non-domestic race.
Other key findings from the survey found that MotoGP is attracting new female fans – one-third of whom have been following the series for less than five years – while the championship enjoys a loyal fan base, particularly in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, where 65% of fans have been following the sport for more than 10 years.
“When you’re travelling to a MotoGP event, many fans do so for various days, we want you to enjoy every possible second of it,” Ezpeleta said.
“On track, we already have an amazing show, and off track, we can now increasingly say the same. Introducing a refreshed and augmented Awards ceremony offers us the perfect opportunity to invite fans to celebrate the end of the season with us and for the sport to reach new audiences, combining a celebration of MotoGP with some of the biggest names in music.”
Vicenç Fábregas, head of live experience at NSN, added: “Our goal with this partnership is to surpass the expectations of motorcycling fans and create an unforgettable event that combines the thrill of racing with the spectacle of live entertainment.”
Image credit: Image courtesy of European Games Kraków-Małopolska 2023
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