Are you willing to sponsor?
Are you ready to explore the transformative power of athlete sponsorship for your brand? Click here to learn more about how sponsorship can help brands grow and thrive in the exciting world of motorsports.
By Emanuele Venturoli| Posted May 14, 2021 | In MotoGP, MotoGP, Motorsports
As a motorsport marketing agency, one of the first questions we ask ourselves when we are looking at a new project is wether the sport we are discussing is popular among our target. Do people watch the events on television? Does the series get the right coverage and the sufficient media exposure? Is it possible for the average household to catch the match, or the race with ease.
The casual reader might think that the internet has made everything easy on that front: nowadays computers, tablets and even phones allow fans to be in touch with their favorite content from everywhere, anytime. People born before 1985 remember with a tad of nostalgia a time when you actually had to wait for specialized magazines to hit the newsagents or for late-night TV to provide some coverage. I personally have fond memories of my teenage years, when our major source of information was provided by Upper Deck sport trading cards.
While the internet sure is a very powerful resource, it has also caused a massive cluttering issue and posed an interesting threat for properties and championships: with such varied and almost-infinite amount of possibilities for the casual viewer to choose from, how can we make sure he or she is actually tuning in on our broadcast?
On the other hand, after the initial enthusiasm brought by the arrival of the Internet, it was however pretty clear pretty soon that the good ol’ TV set was not going anywhere. On the contrary, bigger, better screens started to appear in our living rooms and bedrooms with increasing frequency, powered by on-demand, hi-tech services like Netflix, Sky, Amazon Prime Video, DAZN and such.
Eventually, and more important than that, sport marketers and entertainment professional realized that live events had an indisputable drive and importance in the general landscape. Key elements like uncertainty and unpredictability made live matches, races and games enormously more appealing and valuable.
The perfect mix was found: live sporting events, broadcasted globally and brought in every household via popular TV channels and tailor-made, high-performance digital services.
It is now obvious that such ambitious plan requires a massive production and distribution strategy, setup and organization. The MotoGP World Championship is a very good example of how a global sporting series is operated when it comes to building and sharing an entertainment product.
Dorna, the rights holder of the MotoGP Championship, takes care of the production and the distribution of the series throughout the whole season. The Spanish company is nothing short of a proper media powerhouse, managing the top three class of motorcycle racing along a 19-round championship across 5 continents and 14 countries. Dorna produces and distributes over 18 hours of live programming per Grand Prix, processed through 66 live feeds and more than 180 cameras that are owned, operated and sometimes developed by Dorna personnel itself.
A MotoGP Tech Lab and a MotoGP TV Compound can be found in the paddock at every round, making sure the various challenges of producing such a spectacle are exceeded and also making sure that the bigger broadcasters -such as Sky Italy, DAZN and BT- can carry out their work on site or off site.
As mentioned, more than 180 cameras operate during a race weekend to catch the action at its finest. 28 4k HDR cameras capture the track feed, mounted on 50m scaffolds and manned by 28 operators backed by 15 technicians. 130 microphones are also on track to capture the roaring of the engines and the unfortunate clanging of the numbing metal, while the famous Helicam flies over the track to provide the view from the sky. More than 100 on board cameras are fitted to the 48 bikes. Finally, 13 RF cameras and 3 High speed cameras complete a tech park that’s able to bring to life the 66 feeds producing more than 1,266 hours of content per GP.
Graphics, telemetry, heartbeat modules and more are also taken care of by Dorna, and contribute to the stunning 14 Terabytes of content per race that’s then delivered worldwide through fiber and satellite also thanks to the support of Tata Communications.
150 media professionals work non-stop at every event to allow a detailed, tailor-made distribution. The MotoGP TV Live signal reaches more than 200 countries for a grand total of 22,208 broadcasted hours. 432 Million homes on the planet are reached via cable satellite networks while, on-site, 11 TV stations, 7 international photo agencies and 50 media outlets take care of personalized broadcasts for the most important markets like the UK, Spain and Italy.
Here is a non-exhaustive list of the most important broadcasters for the MotoGP Live Signal (i.e. where you can watch the races) in every country.
Country | Broadcaster |
Italy | Sky |
Uk | BT Sport |
Spain | DAZN |
Indonesia | Trans7 |
Asia | Fox Sports |
Germany | Servus TV |
France | C8 |
Belgium | Canal + |
USA | NBC |
Portugal | Sport TV |
Australia | Fox Sports |
Latina America | ESPN |
Benelux | Eurosport |
Japan | G+ |
Japan | Hulu |
Indian Subcontinent | OSport |
Australia | 10 |
Africa | SuperSport |
Brazil | Fox Sports |
Russia | motorsport.tv |
Czech Republic Slovakia | Nova Sport |
Greece | CosmoteTv |
Thailand | PPTV HD |
Switzerland | SRF |
Mexico | Espn2 |
Sweden | ViaSat |
Poland | Polsat Sport |
Fans with with a serious MotoGP addiction can also count on the excellent MotoGP Video Pass, the official online video platform of MotoGP.
The MotoGP Video Pass experience, which can be enjoyed everywhere from every device live or on-demand, allows the viewer to follow four video seeds simultaneously and to play around with different screen configurations for every session at every race.
Highlights, personalized replays and a stunning library of top-notch MotoGP content are also available to subscribers in 1080p quality.
While at 199,99€ per season the MotoGP Video Pass is not like super cheap (it is way more expensive than other similar OTT services like the NBA league pass and the NFL Game Pass), it also provides one of the most complete and enjoyable experiences for the avid fan or for those on the move who cannot just rely on their national TV broadcast.
Ever been at the track? No? Well, you should, at least once. Because there’s nothing quite like the thrill, the emotion and the excitement of witnessing for the first time a MotoGP bike roaring past. The sound of the engines, the mesmerizing speed, the smell of burnt rubber and the glorious sight of the world’s best racetracks: believe me, there’s hardly a better way to watch the pinnacle of motorcycle racing than the circuit.
Plus, GPs truly are a party. With tens of thousands screaming and smiling from the stands or the infields, the flags waving, the beer kiosks and the fast food parlors, MotoGP events make for a very fun weekend all around.
It’s no surprise at all then than 80% of spectators at the circuit say they will definitely come back next year for more and, on average, come to the circuit in a group of 4.
Of course, if you fancy a more glamorous weekend and couldn’t be bothered with sitting in the grass with some noisy neighbors chanting The White Stripes’ Seven Nation Army on repeat, you might as well treat yourself to a MotoGP VIP Village ticket.
The MotoGP VIP Village represents the excellence of two-wheel hospitality and one of the world’s top sport experiences. Designed to meet the expectations of top-tier private and corporate customers, the MotoGP Vip Hospitality brings together the excitement of the action and the comfort of a five-star resort. First-row views, on-track terraces, Paddock tours and Pit Lane Walks join a sumptuous wine-and-dine experience and other benefits such as in-circuit parking for a weekend to remember.
All the figures and data in this feature are from Dorna / CSM International Gmbh / Nielsen Sports / Zenith Media
Are you ready to explore the transformative power of athlete sponsorship for your brand? Click here to learn more about how sponsorship can help brands grow and thrive in the exciting world of motorsports.
A graduate in Public, Social and Political Communication from the University of Bologna, he has always been passionate about marketing, design and sport.
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By doing so, we are convinced that we are shortening the value chain, saving time and money. However, these DYI methods are anything but risk-free and what initially appears to be a competitive advantage soon turns into a problem that is difficult to resolve. That’s why there are agencies. And this is why you should rely on us for your sponsorships.
When first approaching a sponsorship or sports marketing project, it is difficult to know immediately which stakeholders are correct, what the decision flow is, and what the right timelines are for each process. Sports is a very specialized field of action, and fitting effectively into its paths can take a lot of time and therefore money. We, on the other hand, know referents and spheres of action and know who to talk to, when and how. So you are also more effective.
Sports is an immense passion, and for our heart colors we would be willing to do anything. But business is a different business, and it is important to make the best possible strategic decisions based on independent research, statistics and reliable data. A sports marketing and sports sponsorship agency like RTR has an objective, 360-degree picture of the scenario and can tell you what is really best for you: which sport, which athlete, which team. This is because we possess a great deal of data and information on ratings, segmentation and attitudes. Because the numbers don’t lie. Never.
Activations are the real heart of sports sponsorship. Without them, there remains only a blank sticker on a motorcycle, car or uniform and no contact with the public, no emotional connection, no impact on the bottom line. Then how do you do it? It certainly won’t be the teams or the athletes who will help you leverage sponsorship and enjoy the many marketing rights you have paid for. To bring out the best in a sports marketing project you need an agency that knows how to use sponsorship to engage the fanbase on the Web, to reach out to Shopping Centers, to organize hospitality, to develop B2B and B2C opportunities, and to get “your” athletes in front of millions of potential consumers.
Would you ever go to the dealer who sold you the car and ask if the competitor’s car is better? No, of course. So, how do you expect to get firm measurements of the effectiveness of your sponsorship if you do not rely on someone super partes? At RTR, we have always worked with independent third-party agencies that allow us to know the return on any exposure of your brand on TV and in the media. In addition, we believe in calculating ROI as the ultimate measure of your success-so we can tell you for every penny you spend how much you are making.
We have been involved in sports sponsorship and sports marketing for more than 15 years. We are consultants in the sense that our goal is to maximize your investment, but we are also an agency that manages the project from start to finish. We have been doing this since 1995 with passion and professionalism, following three principles that have become cornerstones of our business: independence, verticality and transparency.
I would like to highlight the fact that one of the qualities of RTR is its great ability to approach the sponsorship scenario strategically, together with its passionate attitude, its amazing enthusiasm for solving problems, and its high level of professionalism.
Gianluca Degliesposti
Executive Director Server&Storage EMEA
Eurosport is truly delighted with its business relationship with Riccardo Tafà, who has become extremely popular, thanks to his detailed knowledge of the sports marketing sector and his highly diligent attitude to work.
Francois Ribeiro
Commercial Director
Passion and Expertise are the features that I have found in RTR since the very beginning. Serious and reliable professionals but also very helpful, nice and open-mind people, willing to listen and compare different ideas. All the values in which RTR believes make this agency a partner, not just a supplier, a partner with whom we have had the opportunity to achieve significant commercial results in term of success and image.
Luca Pacitto
Head of Communication
We have been working with RTR Sports Marketing for over 10 years. The objectives and the programmes of collaboration continue to be renewed and to grow with mutual satisfaction. I believe RTR is a team of great professionals led by Riccardo Tafà, who I consider a manager of exceptional skills and with a great passion for his work.
Lucio Cecchinello
Team Principal
I have known and worked with Riccardo Tafà since 1995 when we collaborated for the first time on a project for the Williams Formula 1 team. Several clients followed. After leaving Williams to work for Gerhard Berger then owner of the Toro Rosso F1 Team, I turned again to Riccardo to seek his help in finding a tool supplier for the team and Riccardo duly obliged with an introduction to USAG, a partnership with Toro Rosso which endured for five years. I recently started a new role as Group Commercial Director for the renowned Andretti Autosport organisation and I find myself working with Riccardo once again on a number of interesting projects. Why has this relationship with Riccardo endured ? He’s smart, knows the commercial side of sport inside out and back to front and he’s honest and trustworthy. Riccardo Tafà is a “doer” not a “talker”: in over 20 years I have never had a dispute either with him or with a company that he has introduced and each partnership introduced by Riccardo has delivered quantifiable ROI to rights holder and sponsor alike. I can think of no better testimonial of Riccardo’s diligence, knowledge, contact base and hard work than that.
Jim Wright
Group Commercial Director
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