Europe Approves F1 Owner Liberty Media's MotoGP Acquisition
Jun.24 - Europe is no longer a barrier to F1 owner Liberty Media's acquisition of MotoGP.
Liberty announced its intention to buy MotoGP in April 2024, but by December, optimism gave way to uncertainty as the European Commission launched a formal antitrust investigation into the 4.2 billion euro deal.
What began as confident talk from CEO Greg Maffei soon became a full-scale regulatory hurdle, with new competition chief Teresa Ribera Rodriguez expressing "serious concerns" about market impact and broadcaster competition.
However, Liberty and MotoGP have now jointly declared that the European Commission has given "unconditional approval" to the takeover deal.
"The deal is now expected to close no later than July 3, 2025, opening the door to a new era for the sport," the media statement added.
MotoGP is being sold by Dorna, whose CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta has been in charge for decades.
"Today's approval from the European Commission marks the final condition to closing Liberty's acquisition of MotoGP," said Derek Chang, Liberty Media CEO.
79-year-old Ezpeleta, who will continue to run MotoGP, commented: "We are very happy that the European Commission has approved the transaction.
"This is an important milestone confirming the even brighter future that lies ahead for MotoGP."
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