Elbows Down

On Sunday, MotoGP brought its roadshow to central London – lighting up Outernet on Tottenham Court Road with live streams from Assen and an immersive fan experience. It was designed to do exactly what it says on the tin: put the sport in front of people that haven’t gone looking for it. 

It’s the sort of event the sport has needed for years. The UK has a passionate, knowledgeable fanbase, and a motorsport culture that should make it one of MotoGP’s strongest geographical markets. But thanks to TV broadcast paywalls, a poor social media strategy, and a once a year trip to a lacklustre Silverstone, it feels like the sport is on life-support here. 

Sunday was an optimistic sign that the series understands something needs to change. Whilst not perfect, the investment and planning into a high profile event, was a statement of intent. It seems Liberty is starting to treat the UK market like the growth opportunity is so clearly is. 

Speaking directly to MotoGP Communications Director Michael Gibson, it was encouraging to hear that events like this are just the first step in a wider strategy for the UK. Gibson emphasised how important it is for the brand to bring the “visual and visceral nature of the sport to a younger, fresh audience”, he went on to explain a desire to “connect the action from the circuit with the mass public”, no matter where they are. It’s clear that for MGPSEG (MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group, formally Dorna), families and young people are a particular focus, which can only be a good thing for long term, sustainable growth. 

As you stepped out of Tottenham Court Road station- one of the busiest in London- fans were met with 2,000 sq meters of screens, showing the best bike action. MotoGP had invested in branded deckchairs, inviting visitors to stop for the whole race. There was also a replica trophy and free monster on offer. 

The immersive experience itself was well put together, where the 360 degree screen sweeps you up in a cycle of cinematic graphics – from a montage of memorable racing moments, fast overtakes, and fan reactions, to a first person sequence putting you dramatically on a bike as it follows the lean through corners. At one point the red start lights take over every screen, with the whole thing tied together with the bold graphics of the “wired different” branding. 

The highlight was of course the watch party, streamed directly from TNT Sports with stalwarts Neil and Gavin leading the commentary. This was a particularly well-thought through decision, as the TNT team are experts at what they do, and have a way of explaining the race to new fans, whilst not switching off the die-hards. It seems this could be part of a deeper commercial partnership with the broadcaster. They kept the actual stream refreshingly simple, showing 3 camera angles of the race on one side, and some track information on another of the screens. I was glad to see no attempt at full-screen gimmicks, rather letting the sport speak for itself. 

The atmosphere is something I have to commend. As a sceptic coming into this, I couldn’t be happier to see the way fans were reacting to the race. Of course it helped that this was one of the most thrilling races of the season thus far, but the way every overtake, tight corner, and dramatic slide had fans clapping and cheering, it felt like a community that was thrilled at the opportunity to connect with each other. Although looking at the amount of people wearing team and rider merch, I do have to question how many new fans they were able to pull off the street for the full race distance. 

Gibson recognised that this watch party was nothing revolutionary, but he wants to really engage and connect fans that may be put off from the initial complexities of the sport – and nailing the simple things is the best way to break down those barriers. 

I took the opportunity to ask him about the future of MotoGP in the UK; with Silverstone’s contract expiring next year, and a distinctive slump in viewing figures, many UK fans are getting worried about what the next few years could look like. Thankfully, he could not have been more dismissive. “Silverstone is a historic track, deeply connected to MotoGP history” he said, “we are doubling down on our commitment to the UK market, and this event is the first step in this strategy”. It was also promising to hear a commitment to the older British fans, recognising that it had been over 50 years since Barry Sheen took a win for the Brits, and he wants to reengage and reconnect those lapsed fans. 

The father and son who had travelled down from Leeds especially, will be glad to hear this. The father admitted that he had drifted from MotoGP in recent years, struggling to get behind riders and turning to BSB to fill this gap. His son was a fan, and had attended Silverstone in the past, but not for several years. They both admitted that experiences like this were exactly the kind of thing to pull them back in.

Silverstone, of course, is the motive behind the whole day. Race attendance has dropped substantially, and anyone who attended last year’s race would agree that the atmosphere was flat at best. My main concern is retaining all these new fans they want to attract. It’s all very well pulling off successful events like this, but these new fans will quickly be turned back off if the Silverstone weekend isn’t revolutionised – and fast. 

The cost of the weekend remained a constant theme in the fans I was speaking to on Sunday. One couple had made the journey in from Kent, and the event had inspired them to attend their first ever race, but were more inclined to look at Le Mans or Assen, than Silverstone. It doesn’t seem like it’s the bottom line cost of the ticket that’s turning people away, but rather the lacklustre showing across the weekend. 

I hate to pit the sports against each other, because they aren’t comparable – but it was hard not to draw comparisons as F1 fever gripped the city ahead of their Silverstone round the following weekend. Walking through central London, almost every shop had posters, brand deals, and even racing sims on the shop floor. The unfortunate truth is that without this level of commercial exposure, MotoGP will always feel like a poor relation. 

The F1 Academy event happening directly next door to Outernet did highlight some glaring gaps in the entertainment available on Sunday, offering a replica car on display, exclusive merchandise, and driver appearances creating a round-the-block queue. While resources are stretched on a race weekend, and no one would expect teams to make sacrifices, it would have been nice to see a prototype bike, a helmet, or even some knee sliders on display. Yes the race viewing party was a success – but what is going to pull people in for the rest of the day? Having the trophy on display was a nice touch, but largely meaningless to the new fans they are trying to attract. 

Sunday wasn’t perfect, and the gaps were clear. Competition from next door was humbling, and the real test will come when thousands of new fans descend on Silverstone and expect the same energy. But for the first time in a long time, it felt like the sport was actually trying, and trying in the right places. If this is genuinely just the first step, I’m excited to see where the next one lands. Long may it continue.