Channel 5 will broadcast highlights of the MotoGP championship this year, Dorna have confirmed. The broadcaster will air the package in a Monday evening slot.
Mark Sharman, Channel 5, said: “We are thrilled to bring viewers the very best of MotoGP and add another headline act to our motor racing portfolio with the world’s fastest motorcycle racing Championship. It will be a mind-blowing season – one for the books. Complementing our live coverage of Formula E and the World Rally Championship highlights, this further demonstrates our commitment to offer top class sport to our viewers”.
Manel Arroyo, Managing Director at Dorna Sports, commented: “With so much emphasis on British talent this year, we are delighted that highlights of every MotoGP round this coming season will be available for British audiences on Channel 5. Our British riders in every category are in top form so it should be an exciting season for our British fans. We are looking forward to getting the 2017 FIM MotoGP World Championship underway in a couple of weeks time in Qatar”.
The move bolsters Channel 5’s existing motor sport portfolio alongside Formula E and the World Rally Championship. It is great to see that MotoGP will have an increased presence, moving from ITV4 to Channel 5, rather than the opposite way down the pecking order. For Channel 5, it marks a return to covering the championship having previously done so in the early 2000s. The overnight audience for the highlights package should increase. ITV4’s coverage in 2016 averaged 285k (1.4%); a barometer Channel 5 should be able to double.
North One Television will continue to produce the highlights package. North One also produces BT Sport’s MotoGP coverage, so do not expect any fundamental change to the style (or timings) used.
Motorsport Broadcasting 
All good news but the Top Fuel motorcycling drag racing championship is the fastest. Just sayin’.
Very encouraging to see Channel 5 bringing in more motorsport to their line up ! Even though it’s highlights, it’s still great that Moto GP has managed to stay on free to air 👍
Like the WRC Highlights moving from ITV4 to C5, the big advantage is now the programme will be in HD free to air!
ITV4 was already free to air.
Only the SD version though, to get ITV4 in HD you have to have a HD Sky subcription. C5 is available free-to-air in HD on Sky, Freesat and Freeview. Also the free My5 catch up service is in HD on most platforms, and last year every WRC show was available to view on there for the whole year!
Another key note to the move, is Qatar is in a 7pm slot on C5 (provisionally), which will gain more viewers than an 8pm on ITV4 slot. Great news fo Channel 5, the coverage will be top level and as said above, we could see more than 500,000 viewers on a regular basis.
Given that Channel 5 have previously had live MotoGP and Indycar highlights since their launch in 1997 this news is just a case of swings and roundabouts. MotoGP and Formula E will eventually leave, NBA & Indycar highlights might return then leave again and so on.
I thought Channel 5 only had live Moto GP from 2000-2002?
Yes, i meant collectively in Channel 5’s lifetime it has had motorsport which then left. The spokesman getting excited about MotoGP being on Channel 5 was probably in school the first time around and over estimates how it will do in the ratings.
There’s no “free-to-air” service in the UK or Ireland,unless a tv license fee is NOT paid.
Hi everyone. For anyone interested, the outgoing theme music at the end of each Channel 5 Moto GP broadcast is by Ian Britt and the track is called In It Together. It’s on Spotify and you can download the single (3 minutes long ) on Amazon for £0.69. It sounds tremendous through a good hi fi system with the wick turned up to 11- Spinal Tap wise.