Movistar+ retains MotoGP exclusivity
Details
Juan Fernandez Gonzalez
| 31 January 2017

For the first time, no MotoGP races will be broadcast by any free-to-air (FTA) networks in Spain, as Telefónica’s Movistar+ maintains exclusive rights.

The dedicated pay-TV channel Movistar MotoGP, which is only available through Telefónica’s platform, will air all the races of the 2017 season which starts at the end of March. Currently, Vodafone is negotiating to add the network to its own pay-TV platform.

Since 2014, when Telefónica entered the TV rights bid and reached its first agreement with Dorna, the pay-TV operator needed to come to agreements with free-to-air (FTA) networks to share some of the Grand Prix races.

Under this plan, Mediaset’s Telecinco aired nine races in 2014, eight in 2015 and four last year. For the 2017 season, unless a last minute agreement is announced, Telefónica will have exclusivity over the competition.

Under the terms of the Telefónica-Dorna agreement, which covers the competition until next year, the pay-TV operator has to offer a weekly recap show to one of Spain’s most watched FTA channels.