until Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League
Next weekend’s French Grand Prix at Le Mans will become the first MotoGP race since 2013 to be aired on free-to-view TV in the UK.
A late deal between series organiser Dorna and ITV4 means all three classes will be broadcast in real-time.
The arrangement is still to be officially announced but is listed on next weekend’s TV schedule and has been confirmed by The Race’s sources.
Action kicks off at 0945 and run until 1410, and will include live Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP coverage from the Bugatti circuit.
Motorcycle grand prix racing moved behind a paywall in the UK in 2014 when current broadcaster BT Sport took over the rights from the BBC, matching moves from Dorna right across Europe that essentially led to the end of free viewing.
However, with audience numbers dropping dramatically despite the significantly increased revenues that those deals brought in, that strategy has gradually been rolled back in key markets like Spain and Italy, with a number of races each year (normally including races actually held in the country), returning to free TV.
ITV4 took over the airing of free MotoGP highlights in 2019, hosting an hour-long show on the Monday following each round.
It initially used BT Sport’s coverage, but for 2021 it has shifted to Dorna’s own in-house production, with MotoGP commentator Steve Day now introducing the show.
In the absence of official confirmation from Dorna, it’s still not clear what format the live coverage will take and who will present it, with Day’s commentating duties likely to prevent him from hosting as well.
