Private equity firm Bridgepoint announced it is repositioning its two premiere motorcycle properties, MotoGP and the World Superbike Championship, under the Dorna Sports banner. It’s not quite a merger, as the two championships will continue working independently, but it does open up the potential for more cooperation between the two and the ability to share marketing resources.

Bridgepoint purchased MotoGP promoter Dorna in 2006 and added WSBK promoter Infront Motorsports in 2011, gaining control of the world’s top motorcycle prototype and production racing properties. Of course, the decision to acquire Infront had less to do with the rights to WSBK as it did the rights to Infront’s 120 or so other sports properties including the FIFA World Cup.

Until now, business has continued as normal for the two occasionally rival racing bodies. Dorna will now assume organization of both series while Infront will become a marketing partner and global adviser to both championships. Continue Reading »

Bridgepoint, the investment company that owns MotoGP promotor Dorna, has reached a deal in principle to acquire Infront Motorsports, the promotor of the World Superbike Championship.

While this may open up a number of possibilities in the minds of motorcycle racing fans, the racing aspect is just a small part of the deal. In addition to the WSBK series, Infront Motorsports promotes 120 different sports properties including some rights to soccer’s FIFA World Cup,  several soccer federations and teams, six Olympic winter sports federations including the International Ice Hockey Federation and International Ski Federation plus the Chinese Basketball Association. Motorcycle racing represents just a drop in a rather large bucket for Bridgepoint.

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