MotoGP World Championship To Air On SPEED, Then FOX Sports 1 In 2013 (Updated)

MotoGP World Championship To Air On SPEED, Then FOX Sports 1 In 2013 (Updated)

© 2013, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

FOX SPORTS SIGNS MULTIYEAR DEAL WITH MotoGP™ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2013 RACES TO AIR LIVE ON NEWLY ANNOUNCED FOX SPORTS 1 & SPEED™ RED BULL INDIANAPOLIS GRAND PRIX A MAJOR PART OF FS1 LAUNCH WEEKEND FOX Sports has signed a multiyear deal with Dorna Sports for broadcast rights to the world’s most prestigious motorcycle racing series, the MotoGP World Championship, with races to air on SPEED and the newly announced, multisport FOX Sports 1 in 2013. MotoGP, with three events in the U.S. in 2013, is highlighted during the high-profile FOX Sports 1 August launch weekend, with the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix scheduled for Aug. 18 as one of the first live events on the new network. “With an international event lineup that includes three U.S. stops, MotoGP brings an immediate world class motor sports presence to the FOX Sports 1 lineup,” said Bill Wanger, EVP Programming & Research for FOX Sports. “Having the race from iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway fall on our FS1 launch weekend is a bonus, and one of which we plan to take full advantage.” “We’re very proud of this new agreement with FOX Sports and we are looking forward to being part of this huge project that is Fox Sports 1. Through this agreement, MotoGP will continue to be watched by our extensive American fan base, via SPEED until August and from then on, via the new FOX Sports 1 channel.  Our 15 year partnership is arriving now to a very exciting MotoGP season with 3 GP’s on U.S. soil and the promise of some thrilling action on track.  We will deliver the very highest standard of TV coverage of the Championship, using the latest production technologies, which is what our fans in the U.S. and around the world and also our Global media partners like the FOX Sports Group, deserve,” declared Manel Arroyo, Managing Director of the Media Area at Dorna. The season opens April 7 on SPEED with the Commercial Bank Grand Prix of Qatar live at 3 p.m. ET, with Moto2 at 11 p.m. ET and Moto3 airing April 9 at noon 1 p.m. ET. Qualifying is available on SPEED2, the authenticated broadband network. For U.S. rounds, Bob Varsha hosts; Ralph Sheheen and Jonathan Green split play-by-play duties; Scott Russell provides analysis and Greg White reports from the pits. The team of Gavin Emmett and Nick Harris call international races, with Varsha, Sheheen, Greg Creamer and Dave Despain sharing the role of studio host. Other U.S. highlights include the include the second event of the season, the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas at newly built Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas on April 21 and a return to Laguna Seca for the U.S. Grand Prix on July 21. Coverage from Austin includes qualifying on April 20 at 9 p.m. ET; race coverage, including pre-race activities begins at 2:30 p.m. ET on April 21. On-board camera access is available on SPEED.com for all U.S. rounds, with qualifying practice sessions on SPEED2. The new deal, continuing a successful relationship that began on SPEED in 1997, when the series was known as the FIM World GP 500, also includes coverage of Moto2 and Moto3, as well as expanded digital rights. For more information on the MotoGP World Championship and a full schedule of events, please visit http://www.motogp.com/en and follow hashtag #MotoGPonSPEED on Twitter. About SPEED™ SPEED, anchored by its popular and wide-ranging coverage of NASCAR, is the nation’s first and only cable television network dedicated to automotive and motorcycle racing, performance and lifestyle. Now available in more than 90 million homes in North America, SPEED, a member of the FOX Sports Media Group, is among the industry leaders in interactive TV, video on demand, mobile initiatives and broadband services, including SPEED2, a groundbreaking new broadband network featuring live, streaming and on-demand events complementing offerings of the linear network. For more information, please visit SPEED.com, the online motor sports authority and follow us on Twitter: @SPEED. About FOX Sports Media Group FOX Sports Media Group (FSMG) is the umbrella entity representing News Corporation’s wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets.  Built with brands capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, FSMG includes ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing partnerships.  FSMG includes FOX Sports, the sports television arm of the FOX Broadcasting Company; Fox’s 20 regional sports networks, their affiliated regional web sites and FSN national programming; SPEED and SPEED2; FOX Soccer, FOX Soccer Plus and FOX Soccer 2Go; FUEL TV; FOX Deportes and FOX College Sports.  In addition, FSMG also encompasses FOX Sports Interactive Media, which includes FOXSports.com on MSN, Whatifsports.com Scout.com and Yardbarker.com.  Also included in the Group are Fox’s interests in joint-venture businesses Big Ten Network, BTN 2Go and STATS, LLC, as well as licensing agreements that establish the FOX Sports Radio Network and FOX Sports Skybox restaurants. About MotoGP™ MotoGP™ is the premier motorcycle racing World Championship; an eighteen-race series visiting thirteen countries, four continents and with pan-global television coverage. Ten nationalities of the world’s most skilled riders line a grid armed with cutting-edge motorcycle technology with prototype machinery fielded by three manufacturers; Ducati, Yamaha and Honda. Established as a World Championship by the FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) in 1949, MotoGP is now into its 65th year. It is the oldest motorsports championship in the world and the premier-class of three racing classes that take to the track on a typical Grand Prix weekend. Formerly labelled ‘500cc’, the championship underwent a change in 2002 with new technical regulations permitting the introduction of four-stroke machinery and increasing the engine capacity to 990cc, thus becoming MotoGP. From 2007 the rules were altered, limiting engine capacity to 800cc, and once again from 2012, setting the maximum engine displacement at 1000cc. MotoGP has been administrated by commercial rights owners Dorna Sports under the supervision of the FIM since 1992. MotoGP has a rich history with Grand Prix events having taken place in every corner of the world throughout the last 64 years. More, from a press release issued by Dorna: MotoGP™ signs a multiyear contract deal with FOX SPORTS FOX Sports has signed a multiyear deal with Dorna Sports for broadcast rights to the world’s most prestigious motorcycle racing series, the MotoGP™ World Championship, with races to air on SPEED and the newly announced, multisport FOX Sports 1 in 2013, 2014 and 2015. MotoGP, with three events in the U.S. in 2013, is highlighted during the high-profile FOX Sports 1 August launch weekend, with the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix scheduled for August 18 as one of the first live events on the new network. “With an international event lineup that includes three U.S. stops, MotoGP brings an immediate world class motor sports presence to the FOX Sports 1 lineup,” said Bill Wanger, EVP Programming & Research for FOX Sports. “Having the race from iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway fall on our FS1 launch weekend is a bonus, and one of which we plan to take full advantage.” “We’re very proud of this new agreement with Fox Sports and we are looking forward to being part of this huge project that is Fox Sports 1. Through this agreement, MotoGP will continue to be watched by our extensive American fan base, via the Speed channel until August and from then on, via the new Fox Sports 1 channel. Our 15 year partnership is arriving now to a very exciting MotoGP season with 3 GP’s on U.S. soil and the promise of some thrilling action on track. We will deliver the very highest standard of TV coverage of the Championship, using the latest production technologies, which is what our fans in the U.S. and around the world and also our Global media partners like the Fox Sports Group, deserve” declared Manel Arroyo, Managing Director of the Media Area at Dorna. The season opens April 7 on SPEED with the Commercial Bank Grand Prix of Qatar. Other U.S. highlights include the second event of the season, the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas inaugural series event at newly built Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas on April 21 and a return to Laguna Seca for the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix on July 21. Coverage from Austin includes qualifying on April 20 at 9 p.m. ET; race coverage, including pre-race activities begins at 2:30 p.m. ET on April 21. On-board camera access is available on SPEED.com for all U.S. rounds, with qualifying practice sessions on SPEED2. The new deal, continuing a successful relationship that began on SPEED in 1997, when the series was known as the FIM World GP 500, also includes coverage of Moto2™ and Moto3™, as well as expanded digital rights.

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