Moto GP and superbike racing have taken a hit in popular culture following the retirement of Valentino Rossi. The Italian was a true icon of the sport, winning Moto GP seven times over the course of his illustrious career. Rossi retired from superbike racing in 2021, leaving a huge void for the sport to plug. Superbike racing has always been a niche sport compared to its contemporaries, notably Formula One.
But, is there a way that the sport can appeal to a wider audience without having to boast a popular name such as Rossi? There are creative ways to engineer a new following by looking at examples of where other sports have delved.
Documentary Series
Almost every sport has taken advantage of the number of streaming services that are available online to launch documentary series. MotoGP capitalised on the market in a deal with Amazon Prime, creating the series MotoGP Unlimited that was launched in 2022. It followed the stories of riders over the course of the 2021 season, including Fabio Quartararo and Joan Mir. However, the series lacked the appeal of others found on Netflix, Disney +, and Amazon Prime.
There were issues with the quality of the documentary that resulted in complaints and plans for a second series have been halted for now. If you’re trying to bring a new audience to the sport, the quality of the service has to be flawless because there is just too much competition on streaming services. If you compare MotoGP Unlimited to Formula One: Drive to Survive on Netflix along with Breaking Point, the series about tennis, the standard is at another level. That is the challenge facing the sport to attract a new generation of fans.
Games
MotoGP has managed to keep pace with other sports by offering a console game on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, PC, and Android. MotoGP 23 allows players to compete with friends and online. But, compared to FIFA, Madden, NBA2k, and the other leading titles, it will always have niche appeal. The quality of the game is solid, but there is a need to look at a different way of approaching the gaming market. Online casinos provide the opportunity to take sports to new audiences with their platform.
There are numerous examples in UK online casinos of franchises or TV shows adapted to online slot games, including Narcos and Rick and Morty. There is even a slot game dedicated to the late football legend Diego Maradona. So, there are plenty of opportunities to branch into a new demographic of fans, using the likeness of superbikes and MotoGP or even a legend such as Rossi to highlight the sport. If there is a gap in the market, MotoGP has to seize the chance and perhaps even use the opportunity to enhance sponsorships with the iGaming industry.
Future
It is an important time for the future of the sport and there are key decisions to make to drag MotoGP and superbikes back into the conversation as one of the biggest sports in Europe rather than a niche option. There are ways to promote the sport and these two options here could be worth considering in a bid to corner a new audience.
