Malaysia Remains A Key Market For MotoGP
By Siti Radziah Hamzah
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 2 (Bernama) -- MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group SL is looking to grow its fan base in Southeast Asia through content and commercial opportunities, with no additional races in the region currently under consideration, its deputy chief executive officer Carlos Ezpeleta said.
He said Malaysia remained a key market for MotoGP, with growth in the championship’s regional following expected to bring more spectators to Sepang.
“As fandom continues to evolve in the region, and it doesn’t necessarily need to be with a race. It can be through content, through commercial opportunities. All that will bring more and more fans to Sepang,” he said in an interview with Bernama over the weekend at the Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia.
Ezpeleta identified Vietnam and the Philippines as important markets where MotoGP Group could build its following without staging races.
He said MotoGP was not in discussions with additional Southeast Asian countries to host races, although interest could emerge in the coming years.
Asked whether rounds in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia competed for sponsorship and international visitor spending, he said more races in the region helped expand audiences rather than pit markets against one another.
“In fact, from the data that we have, we are seeing more and more MotoGP fans travelling from one market to another, so more international visitors. Also, even in Japan, they are seeing more and more fans from Southeast Asia coming to the races there,” he said.
Ezpeleta said Southeast Asia’s large fan base and widespread motorcycle use made it an attractive market, with manufacturers supporting efforts to reach more fans.
On Malaysia’s position, he said Sepang’s proximity to an international airport and Kuala Lumpur, together with the country’s hospitality and long association with MotoGP, distinguished it from other venues.
“Malaysia has been a part of the calendar for over 25 years, where Sepang feels like home for MotoGP, for our fans, for the fans, you know, the millions of fans watching on TV,” he said.
Ezpeleta said MotoGP Group had given promoters more rights to commercialise their events, while expanded interactions between riders and fans would form part of its offerings next year.
He said content remained central to MotoGP Group’s broader growth strategy, including telling riders’ stories and showing fans more of the teams and racing strategies to engage existing fans more closely while attracting new audiences.
Asked whether a docuseries-style approach like Formula One's Drive to Survive could place too much emphasis on entertainment, Ezpeleta said racing would remain central to MotoGP.
“For us the sport is and will always be at the centre of what we do. We have magnificent racing, we have the most exciting sport on earth and we’re very proud of that. It’s just how do we continue to invest to showcase what a fantastic sport it is and how to engage with our fans better,” he said.
-- BERNAMA
