Tired of watching all of the races in fuzzy, low resolution broadcasts? SPEED will have access to MotoGP in full HD this year, so no more guessing about who is leading the race-we'll actually be able to see their number plates!
The 2010 FIM MotoGP World Championship gets off to a spectacular start this weekend in Qatar, with the floodlit Losail International Circuit the setting for the opening round of the new season of the world's premier motorcycling series.
Millions of spectators across the globe will enjoy television coverage of the sport this year, with MotoGP broadcast worldwide by more than 65 TV networks in over 200 countries, delivering the thrills, excitement and passion of the sport to a truly global audience.
This season, broadcasters will have access to live coverage of all races in full HD quality. More than 15 of commercial rights holders Dorna Sports broadcast partners will start the season offering viewers the opportunity to follow the World Championship in HD with further broadcasters expected to come on board during the season.
Continuing the expansion achieved over recent years, Dorna Sports have extended TV agreements with existing partners for the 2010 season and have also secured new agreements with several new broadcasters across the globe.
European, Latin American and Pan-Regional Broadcasters
Existing long term agreements with national broadcasters in key territories extend into the 2010 season with Italia 1 in Italy, BBC in the UK, Sport1 in Germany, TVE in Spain and NT1/Eurosport in France. Other existing agreements with broadcasters across Europe and the Mediterranean will see MotoGP continue to be broadcast live in Albania on SuperSport, in Austria on ATV, in Belgium on RTL Club, on CYBC and Lumiere TV in Cyprus, in Greece on Skai TV, on Atlas TV in Montenegro, in Macedonia on AB Channel, in Poland and the Balkans on Sportklub, in Portugal on Sport TV, on Swiss TV in Switzerland, on Digisport in Romania and in Israel on Sport5.
Ongoing multi-year agreements with Viasat in Scandinavia and the Baltics, Supersport in Africa, Al Jazeera in the Middle East, ESS in Asia and ESPN in Latin America underpin the pan-regional exposure for the World Championship. Complementing ESPN's coverage in Latin America are agreements with SporTV in Brazil and terrestrial agreements in Venezuela with Meridiano and in El Salvador.
Testament to the continuing success of MotoGP throughout the world are renewed agreements with several of Dorna's previous broadcast partners. New three-year agreements have been concluded with Speed TV in US/Canada, Nelonen Media in Finland, Pop TV in Slovenia and Sky TV in New Zealand. Agreements for this season have also been renewed in Europe with NTV Turkey and Autoplus Russia and in China with Shanghai Media Group, CSPN and Guangdong TV.
New for 2010 are several agreements which will further extend MotoGP's reach and will give MotoGP a new home in several territories. A new five-year agreement in Australia will see live coverage of the Championship on the One HD Channel with same-day delayed coverage of the MotoGP race on the primary channel, Network 10. An agreement with VT4 in Belgium will see the full season of MotoGP broadcast in Flemish and a new four-year agreement with Digisport gives MotoGP a new long term home in Hungary, which will enable broadcasters to watch live coverage of races and qualifying practices from all three categories. In Holland, MotoGP fans will be able to watch live coverage of all MotoGP races and Qualifying practices on the Car Channel which will be re branded the Motor Channel for MotoGP weekends Asia
Increasing MotoGP's exposure in Asia, a new two-year agreement in Singapore with Starhub's Supersports channel adds to the list of national broadcasters throughout the region including NTV and G+ in Japan, Channel 9 in Malaysia, Channel 9 in Thailand, Trans TV in Indonesia and Ten Sports and Neo Sports in India.
Commenting on MotoGP's move to HD for the 2010 season, Dorna Sports' Managing Director Manel Arroyo said, "We have a duty to our fans and also to our broadcast partners, who are amongst the most highly recognised sports broadcasters in the world, to keep investing in the latest technologies that allow us to capture all the speed and adrenaline of MotoGP thus enabling the best possible broadcast of the sport".