In Misano, Dorna Sports and their partner, Motorsport Networks, presented to the public the results of a global study conducted over the past few months at the Grand Prix, on social networks, and through the official MotoGP website: how do fans and subscribers see the championship now and in the future? You won’t be surprised when you see the results. However…
109,676 people from 179 countries of the world kindly agreed to answer Dorna’s questions. But as it was before, so it remains: 65% of the audience are Europeans, while in the American countries less than 13% are interested in MotoGP, Asians less than 20%.
Women are still not interested in motorcycle racing: only 13% of the respondents were among them.
The average MotoGP follower was 36 years old
In 2022, more than 90% of respondents watch MotoGP on streaming platforms or on TV, but only 40% of them follow the course of the entire weekend.
And only 40% of the viewers who came to watch the MotoGP races live used to watch them from the stands. Basically, these are either newly converted fans or viewers who once decided to get out and watch the show with their own eyes.
Even 3-4 years ago, this figure would have been twice as high! But MotoGP is changing rapidly, and Dorna needed to make sure of this… finally
More than 60% of respondents called the Italian Grand Prix in Mugello the key stage of the season, the most important from many points of view, although not decisive. But only 48% of respondents named the classic Dutch in Assen as such. Finally, only 37% complained about the absence of Phillip Island in the calendar of 2020 and 2021.
This suggests that the audience still consists of a large army of loyal fans who are accustomed to the traditional confrontation in the style of Rossi-Lorenzo or Italy-Spain. But the age of the audience has changed dramatically: so, in some 2018 TT Circuit Assen would be called a key event. The Australian Grand Prix has become less interesting to the global audience, at least due to the lack of stars of Casey Stoner’s level – and the same thing awaits the Italian Grand Prix in the near future!
The core of MotoGP’s loyal audience in the world in 2022 has narrowed to 20-34 years
Also, the results of the study show strict national segregation of the audience. 73% of Dutch respondents said they had attended at least one Dutch Grand Prix race in Assen over the past 5 years, but only 24% were willing to follow the championship to another country. The Spaniards answered in the same way. Both admitted that they have little interest in foreign trips for the sake of MotoGP.
Now the most interesting thing is how viewers support the changes in the rules adopted over the past 5 years: more than 60% of respondents aged 16 to 34 (the most active part of the audience) confirmed that they consider the situation to be improved by leveling the performance of all the prototypes presented.
The format of the championship with a calendar of at least 19 races wants to see more than 3/4 of the respondents
85% of respondents stated that they are interested in Grand Prix races in the current format lasting from 40 to 60 minutes, with an ideal format of 45-50 minutes (as it is now).
There was not a word about the introduction of sprint races in the global survey.
When making the decision to radically change the format from 2023, Dorna was aware of the results of the study. And yet, changes will happen!