Indian subcontinent pay-television broadcaster Taj TV has confirmed an exclusive five-year deal for the rights to motorcycling championship MotoGP in the region.
First reported last month, the agreement with MotoGP’s commercial rights-holder, the Dorna Sports agency, takes in the 2015 to 2019 seasons of the championship.
The deal means MotoGP will be broadcast exclusively by a single broadcaster in the Indian subcontinent for the first time. MotoGP was previously a non-exclusive property in the region, with rights shared between Taj TV’s Ten Sports and fellow pay-television broadcasters Star India and Neo Sports.
As part of the new contract, Ten Sports will broadcast all MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 races and qualifying sessions live on its network of six channels. Ten Sports will also be offering multi-screen feeds on its digital platforms and will develop a dedicated MotoGP section on its website.
In addition, Ten Sports will run a variety of promotional initiatives to boost the profile of MotoGP in India. Programming around races will be developed with Ten Sports looking to create Indian-focused programming from a few races.
Rajesh Sethi, global chief executive of Ten Sports, said: “Viewers identify MotoGP with the Ten Sports network as can be seen with the higher MotoGP viewership numbers on Ten Sports vis-à-vis other networks. We have also been rightsholders for this premium property since 2006 and we are delighted to continue and take this partnership to the next level.”
Manel Arroyo, managing director of Dorna Sports, added: “India is a key market for MotoGP in the coming years and the championship will benefit greatly from the extensive promotion that Taj have committed to provide.”
The 2015 MotoGP season begins in Qatar on March 29 with the first of 18 races.