Begin, the UAE-based streaming service operating in the Pakistani market, has continued its 2026 media rights push, striking a deal to secure broadcast rights for motorcycle racing’s elite MotoGP series.
Through the agreement, a sub-licensing deal with regional rightsholder FanCode, Begin will showcase action from across every race weekend of the 2026 MotoGP campaign.
MotoGP, in the past, has been under-exposed in Pakistan, according to Begin, with this new deal aiming to serve as a growth marker in the valuable market.
This includes each weekend’s practice sessions, qualifying rounds, and the Grand Prix races themselves, and began with March 1’s season-opening Thailand Grand Prix.
The 2026 MotoGP campaign will run through the November 22 Grand Prix of Valencia, with 21 more races coming on the calendar after the Thailand event.
While the series does not operate a race in Pakistan or the Indian subcontinent, several races will take place across Asia, in prominent markets such as Qatar (April 12), Japan (October 4), Indonesia (October 11), Malaysia (November 1)< and the aforementioned Thailand.
Since its launch, Begin has focused heavily on non-cricket sports rights to generate “defensible” platform value.
Speaking to Sportcal (GlobalData Sport) last month, Begin chief executive Jonathan Mark explained: “The cricket market is crowded, and when everyone is chasing the same inventory, the economics become brutal, and exclusivity becomes thin.
“Non-cricket rights give you room to create a category on the platform, communities that are underserved, content that’s in demand but not distributed properly, and fanbases that are growing fast, especially among younger audiences. Over the next few years, you’ll see these rights mature as fandom becomes more organized, viewing becomes more digital, and brands start following attention beyond cricket.”
MotoGP has also struck a new partnership with Quint, the travel and events company.
This multi-year exclusive agreement will see Quint manage hospitality offerings across all 22 Grand Prix races, which MotoGP says has been powered by increasing demand for premium experientials around the annual campaign.
Camerlo Ezpeleta, MotoGP chief executive, commented: “As MotoGP continues to grow, we are committed to delivering a hospitality experience that matches the energy and ambition of our sport. Our partnership with Quint brings together operational excellence with premium experience design, allowing us to elevate the product, innovate the platform, and deepen the connection between fans, partners, and MotoGP."
This agreement will take immediate effect, with future enhancements planned for 2027 and beyond.
By linking Quint and MotoGP, the Liberty Media organization brings together two of its newest acquisitions.
In January 2024, Quint was acquired by Liberty Media Corporation, the parent company of F1, which purchased more than 90% of the hospitality company for $313 million.
Liberty now also owns the top-tier MotoGP motorcycling series, which it finalized the purchase of (through a deal to take over the Dorna Sports promoter and organizer) last July after the deal was initially unveiled in April of 2024. It now holds an 84% stake in MotoGP, for which it has ended up paying $3.1 billion, all told.
The conglomerate’s full-year financial results, as well as its fourth quarter (Q4) figures, were unveiled in late February, showing $4.48 billion worth of revenue during the 2025 fiscal year.
For the motorcycle series, revenue increased by 14% year-on-year in 2025, reaching $573 million, with operating income growing by 86% during the same period (coming in at $54 million, both of these being calculated on a pro-forma basis.
