FRANÇOIS RIBEIRO Q+A: EUROSPORT EVENTS TO PROMOTE SPEEDWAY GLOBALLY FOR 10 YEARS

What will Eurosport Events’ role be with Speedway from 2022?

Eurosport Events will be global promoter of all major FIM Speedway categories. The 10-year agreement spans the full pyramid of the sport including FIM Speedway Grand Prix, FIM Speedway of Nations, Speedway U21 and Speedway Youth World Championship.

As the new global promoter, Eurosport Events’ strategy will play a central role in defining the long-term strategy for the sport, in close partnership with FIM, from grass roots to the elite professional level.

We will oversee the full operational and commercial aspects of the sport including defining the international calendar, working with local organisers on local promotion and maximising commercial opportunities and co-ordinating with FIM on rider selection. More widely, Eurosport events will manage multi-platform rights distribution, broadcast production, sponsorship rights strategy and the full suite of marketing, brand and promotional activities.

What makes Speedway such a popular and engaging sport with fans?

Speedway has such a long and rich heritage. It began in the U.S. as far back as 1902 and the first Speedway Grand Prix held at Wembley, London, was in 1936.

It is a spectacular and dynamic format that is great entertainment and creates a brilliant show, whilst still being easy for crowds and viewers to understand. It is unique in the fact it is the only world-level motorsport fully hosted in stadiums. The sport is 100% fan orientated – they’re some of the most passionate and engaged you’ll find in any sport - and driven by the teams and riders.

Why did FIM choose Eurosport Events?

Eurosport Events expressed an interest in Speedway in 2018 and took the step to participate in FIM’s public tender in the second half of 2019. We have partnered with FIM since 2015 to promote the FIM Endurance World Championship under a long-term agreement until 2030. Given our experience and expertise, we entered FIM’s tender process and proposed a pyramid approach for the sport from grass roots to top level. 

As part of Discovery, we were also able to offer the opportunity for global media exposure by tapping into the scale and depth of the group’s sport and lifestyle platforms, channels and brands to raise the visibility and awareness of the sport and build audiences. 

What is Eurosport Events’ vision, in partnership with FIM, for Speedway? Where could the sport be in 10 years’ time?

As a sport, Speedway has such strong foundations. The format and regulations work very well as they stand today. As we look to the future from 2022, I think Speedway will retain the same spirt and core fundamentals, but the way the sport is organised and promoted internationally may evolve. 

As Speedway is the only motorsport that is 100% organised in stadiums and fans are close to the heart of the action, the sport will probably face more COVID-related considerations than other FIM championships. At this stage, it is hard to predict the impact of this on Speedway through to the end of 2021 through to when we become global promotor of the sport.   

We have a great deal of planning still ahead in the build-up to 2022 and will take it a step at a time, but will be focused on 5 priority areas. For example, how can we make the sport more accessible to young riders in different nations, offering a sustainable pyramid and route to becoming a professional rider. We are interested in how the sport can become more international, building on its base in Europe. For the fans, we want to continue to improve the quality of venues and the overall event experience, as well as the on-screen experience for fans back home or on the move. Overall, we want to bring more fans to the sport and help fuel its future success. 

When might we know more specific plans for 2022 and beyond? 

The FIM tender process and our recent announcement afford Eurosport Events and our partners the time to fully prepare for our first season in 2022. 

We will use this time to create the best possible promotor team and engage the sport’s key stakeholders, such as the National Leagues, to help develop our plans. We look forward to announcing more details in due course.

Together with FIM, we will also support the FIM Speedway Junior Championships, promoted by One Sport, and are set integrate within our overall operational plans from 2022. This will be part of building a stronger ladder for younger talents to reach the pinnacle of the sport.