Viacom18 acquires MotoGP broadcast rights

Viacom18 has acquired the exclusive broadcast rights for MotoGP in India, starting with the Grand Premio de Portugal, which will be broadcast on Sports18 and JioCinema.

Viacom18 will provide exclusive coverage of Practice Sessions on Friday and Saturday, Qualifying and Sprint on Saturday, and the main race on Sunday.

MotoGP fans in the country will have more reasons to rejoice, as the sport will come to India for the first time for the Bharat Grand Prix on September 24 later this year. The Indian race will be held at the Buddh International Circuit, which has previously hosted the Formula One Indian Grand Prix from 2011 to 2013.

Hursh Shrivastava, Viacom18 Sports Head of Strategy and Partnerships, commented:

“MotoGP is one of the most dramatic racing events in the world and Indian sports fans are in for a treat as the series makes its historic debut in India this September. We look forward to giving sports fans in India the world’s best motorcycle racing show possible and widen our fanbase through our diversified offerings.“

Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO, Dorna:

“We have a lot of fans in India and we’re excited to be able to bring the sport to them. India is also a key market for the motorcycle industry and therefore, by extension, for MotoGP as the pinnacle of the two-wheeled world. We are very excited that Viacom’s reach across India will bring MotoGP to all corners of the country and allow more fans to watch this incredible sport.“

Pushkar Nath Srivastava, COO of FairStreet Sports, the promoters of the India race and the Broadcasting Rights licensee, added:

“We are confident that Viacom18 is the ideal partner to showcase the exhilarating sport of MotoGP in India. Their extensive reach on both television and OTT platforms, combined with their commitment to launching and promoting sports, perfectly aligns with our vision for the historic debut of MotoGP in the country. The increased accessibility would help galvanise our youth and create a new generation of talented riders to represent our nation on the global stage.“