American-based TV and internet giant Motorsport Network has bought Motors TV, the channel that broadcasts MXGPs and other motocross TV shows in the UK. It promises to upgrade Motors TV to full HD quality and to continue broadcasting world championship motorsport, although there is no official announcement about the future of bikesport on the channel. It also plans to make the channel a Video on Demand service, so it’s not known whether it will continue to be available on regular UK cable and satellite services.
Motorsport Network is the world’s largest automotive and motorsport digital technology business with a global broadcast operation, reaching more than 30 million homes with 130 rights agreements and 700 live events annually. Motors TV will become the backbone of Motorsport.tv, a performance motoring and motorsport video broadcast network.
“Our commitment to automotive from the global digital into the broadcast arena is a bold step to build a genuinely integrated platform across small and large screen alike. The investment will enable us to create the very first dedicated broadcast ‘home’ in our expert areas of performance motoring and motorsport,” said Zak Brown, Motorsport.com’s Chairman.
Motors TV will be absorbed into Motorsport.tv with new original programming formats spanning performance road car content to the live telecast of premier World Championship motorsport. The revised and expanded service will graduate to full HD status in March 2017. Fans will be able to access the home of performance motoring and motorsport via a wide array of platforms from desktop, mobile, tablet, streaming devices, gaming consoles, connected televisions to set-top devices such as Apple TV and Amazon Fire.
“Motorsport.tv will bring road car and racing fans as well as advertisers together in a home for motoring and motorsport in a fashion that has never previously existed,” said Jean-Luc Roy, Motors TV’s Founder.
Motors TV was founded in 2000 and today operates five international feeds in six languages originating in France, the UK, North & Latin America and an international feed. 2017 will mark its transition from traditional linear broadcasting to a Video on Demand (VOD) service with the launch of Motorsport.tv’s new digital platform.
Currently Eurosport also broadcasts MXGPs but many of the races are delayed, rather than live like Motors TV tend to show.