The Fox Sports division of US network Fox has renewed rights for the MotoGP motorcycling championship in a multi-year deal that begins with the 2013 campaign.
Fox Sports said that its motorsport-focused pay-television channel Speed would show live coverage of all races until August, when it will be replaced by new nationwide sports channel Fox Sports 1. Fox Sports 1 will provide live coverage of the Indianapolis MotoGP from August 16-18 on the channel’s launch weekend and every race thereafter.
Fox Sports struck the deal with MotoGP’s commercial rights-holder, Dorna Sports.
“With an international event line-up that includes three US stops, MotoGP brings an immediate world-class motor sports presence to the Fox Sports 1 line-up,” Bill Wanger, executive vice-president of programming and research for Fox Sportsm, said. “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.”
Speed, which has shown MotoGP since 1997, will provide live coverage of US races in Austin, Texas on April 21 and Laguna Seca in California on July 21 before it is replaced by Fox Sports 1.