In the global sports marketing and sponsorship landscape of 2026, we are witnessing an unprecedented paradigm shift. Whereas until the recent past European soccer was the natural landing place for betting and iGaming giants, today the geographical and strategic coordinates have profoundly changed.

With Premier League and La Liga jerseys now “armored” by increasingly stringent legislative restrictions, and a Formula 1 now presenting serious real-estate problems on sports properties overwhelmed by the success of the series, MotoGP emerges as the shiniest and most surgical choice for those pursuing a concrete and measurable return on investment (ROI).

Motorsport’s untapped market: beyond the saturation of soccer

While soccer faces total bans on betting sponsorships in key markets, MotoGP is emerging as a blue ocean, a strategic untapped market. It is not just a matter of more flexible regulations, but of a perfect coincidence between the MotoGP calendar and the financial explosion of emerging markets.

In Latin America, currently the fastest growing area globally with an annual growth rate of 17-20%, the case of Brazil stands out: with recent full regulation, betting turnover in the South American country alone is estimated to exceed $3.5-4 billion by 2026. At the same time, in the APAC region, the online gaming market is projected to exceed $10 billion by 2027, growing at a steady rate of 12 percent annually.

What makes MotoGP the ideal penetration tool for these giants is the very nature of its consumption. In nations like Indonesia and Vietnam, where more than 85 percent of betting is done via smartphones, the “second-screen” enjoyment of races creates an immediate conversion ecosystem. In Indonesia, in particular, the TV share of Grand Prix races touches peaks of 40 percent, offering brands direct conversion to an audience of millions of digital native users, with volumes that domestic soccer leagues can no longer deliver with the same efficiency.

An elective affinity: adrenaline, data and technology

The link between the universe of racing and that of online gaming transcends commercial agreement; it is a semantic overlap of values. Motorsport excellence is based on pillars that constitute the very DNA of modern betting:

• Adrenaline and unpredictability: The very nature of the challenge on two wheels evokes the thrill of the unexpected, a pivotal element of the gaming experience.
• Data-Driven Performance: Just as technicians in the pit box analyze thousandths of a second and telemetry, the modern bettor acts on statistics and algorithms. Associating an iGaming brand with a MotoGP team means elevating its perception from mere entertainment to a data-driven strategic choice.
• Internationality: A platform that presides over 20 different nations in 9 months offers a continuity of exposure that few other media can boast.

The first example of 2026: 21.com and the Pramac Prima Yamaha project

The first example of this strategy is the operation that sees 21.com take to the track alongside the Pramac Prima Yamaha team. This is a partnership that transcends the mere display of a brand name on the livery; it is a partnership woven on a broad perspective vision.

Team Pramac’s move under the Yamaha umbrella represents one of the most fascinating technical challenges of the season. However, the real catalyst for the deal is the arrival of Toprak Razgatlıoğlu. The Turkish rider is not only an ace on the track, but a global icon endowed with an endless fanbase and an image that exudes boldness and showmanship.

For an operator like 21.com, tying itself to Toprak and the new Yamaha-Pramac challenge means capitalizing on unparalleled engagement: the rider’s ability to generate viral content and his popularity in crucial markets (from Turkey to the entire Asian basin) turn sponsorship into an extremely powerful user acquisition engine. It is a demonstration of how a technical partner and a first-rate human asset can transfigure sports marketing into an exact science.

Continuity beyond livery exposure: Pragmatic Play and Aprilia Racing

Another meaningful signal of how iGaming brands are progressively reshaping their MotoGP activation models is represented by the ongoing collaboration between Pragmatic Play and the Aprilia Racing MotoGP Team. Following the landmark partnership launched in 2025, the relationship continues into the current season under an evolved rights structure: while Pragmatic Play no longer features on the race bikes, the partnership remains fully active across team assets, hospitality platforms, media rights and digital activation programmes.

This evolution highlights a growing strategic maturity within iGaming sponsorships, where commercial effectiveness is increasingly driven by experiential marketing, content production and online-to-offline engagement rather than by livery exposure alone. Through access to Aprilia’s premium hospitality, branded digital content, fan engagement initiatives and exclusive experiences, Pragmatic Play continues to leverage MotoGP as a high-performance environment for brand storytelling, audience acquisition and long-term brand positioning. The partnership confirms how top-tier manufacturers and leading gaming operators are now prioritising activation depth and conversion-oriented rights over traditional visibility metrics, reinforcing MotoGP’s role as a flexible and highly measurable commercial platform for global iGaming brands.

The right choice

2026 enshrines MotoGP as a safe haven for iGaming and betting investments. The combination of regulatory flexibility, demographic affinity and the explosion of new markets makes the sport the sharpest marketing tool available to global brands.

Knowing how to identify the right pairing of team, driver and target market, however, is not a trivial task. It requires a deep understanding of the folds of the paddock and the dynamics of digital conversion: only a strategic overview can turn an investment in communication into a lasting competitive advantage.

RTR Sports Marketing is a sponsorship and consulting agency in the global motor sports industry, specializing in Formula 1 e MotoGP, active in all major international racing series, including Formula E, NASCAR, WEC, WRC and Dakar, helping brands create data-driven, high-performance sponsorship programs.