Why MotoGP is Losing Popularity in Spain
MotoGP, the pinnacle of the MotoGP Championship and one of the most-followed motorcycle racing series worldwide, is experiencing a significant decline in viewership in Spain. This trend is alarming for a country renowned for its deep-rooted motorcycling tradition, especially with iconic racers like Marc Márquez vying for another championship title six years after his last win.
What’s Happening?
Recent data reveals that only one million viewers tuned in to watch the MotoGP race last Sunday on La Sexta, according to Kantar Media. Despite being the third-ranking show of the day in terms of market share, the ratings are notably subdued for a sport that once attracted millions.
This downward trend is puzzling, particularly when we consider that 600,000 fewer individuals are following MotoGP compared to last year. From a peak of 1.6 million viewers during the Gran Premio de España in 2024, the recent Gran Premio de Aragón fell significantly, achieving only one million viewers.
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Viewing Numbers Declining. The numbers are alarming. Since last year’s peak, MotoGP has lost a considerable audience. From the 1.6 million viewers in the Gran Premio de España, subsequent races have seen lesser figures—1.3 million for the Gran Premio de Cataluña and the Solidarity GP, which replaced a canceled race in Valencia. This year’s Gran Premio de España only garnered 1.2 million viewers, which marks a distinct decline.
In Spain, several grand prix races have been broadcast openly, and the audience engagement reflects a decreasing interest. The Gran Premio de Aragón previously attracted just a million viewers this past weekend, a notable decrease from the levels seen last year.
Is it Really That Low? A million viewers may seem like a substantial figure, but it masks larger realities. According to VerTele, accounting for viewers on Dazn and Aragón TV, which also aired the race, elevates the figure to approximately 1.282 million viewers.
Of these, Dazn contributed another 152,000 viewers, while local television added 72,000. Thus, more than 15% of the audience turned to other platforms to watch the race, raising market share from 14.5% to 16.1%, making it the second most-watched program of the day—surpassing various other traditional television programs.
What Could Be Causing This Decline? Viewed in perspective, last weekend’s numbers don’t seem catastrophic. In the years 2020 to 2022, when events aired on networks like Teledeporte, Telecinco, and La 1, their ratings rarely crossed the million-mark threshold.
However, there remains a lack of clarity concerning last year’s viewership on Dazn. Additionally, VerTele did not report comprehensive data concerning viewership for the first event this year on open-air channels.
A Bitter Truth. Despite the shifting numbers, it’s evident that interest in MotoGP has dwindled over the past year. Most concerning is that despite Márquez’s return to the championship hunt, the expected surge in engagement hasn’t materialized. In contrast, the Gran Premio de España in Formula 1 drew in 2.2 million viewers, even with no significant prospects for local heroes Carlos Sainz or Fernando Alonso.
While Formula 1 also grapples with declining numbers, its average viewer base still hovers at approximately 1.44 million in 2025, compared to the 1.84 million in 2021. Major spikes in viewership often correlate with exciting developments, like Aston Martin’s performance leap in 2023, which raised ratings to 2.25 million.
The Glory Days Are Gone. It seems increasingly clear that the MotoGP Championship has lost its previous allure. In recent years, ratings have plateaued between one and one-and-a-half million viewers without recapturing the heights of earlier eras.
Spectacular numbers, like nearly six million viewers during the showdown between Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi in 2015, are now a distant memory. Similar extraordinary engagement was seen in 2013 when the final championship event amassed close to five million viewers, marking the second-highest viewership in the sport’s history. The first was the celebrated championship victory of Álex Crivillé in 1999.
A Convergence of Factors. Several elements have contributed to the declining interest in motorcycle racing over the years, but one stands out: the transition of MotoGP broadcasts to subscription-based television. The shift saw viewership plummet from six million to approximately 300,000, as reported by Motorsan in 2018.
Without a free-to-air network covering the full championship, attracting large audiences for sporadic grand prix becomes challenging. The inability to access the races easily leads to disconnect among fans, stripping them of the opportunity to familiarize themselves with emerging stars, thereby hindering the growth of large audiences in the future.
Even amidst these struggles, the intrinsic appeal of motorcycle racing endures, manifested in the deep dedication of its fans. However, revitalizing interest in MotoGP will require innovative strategies and possibly a reconsideration of how the sport is broadcast to capture the hearts of a new generation of viewers.