Think back to the end of December. True, it was only a month ago, but it's a long time to be delayed if you're a company that expected a certain deal it was undertaking to already be in the rearview mirror. And that's exactly what's happening with Liberty Media and its intended acquisition of Dorna, the international rights-holder for MotoGP, WSBK, and several other motorcycle racing series.
Back in December, the European Commission (which is the European Union's executive arm) announced that it would subject Liberty Media's proposed acquisition of Dorna Sports to a more in-depth investigation.
At the time, the EC said its concerns include "serious competition concerns" regarding licensing broadcast rights within EU countries, because Liberty Media already owns Formula One. And quite frequently, says the EC, MotoGP is its only true broadcast competitor. So if Liberty Media owns the rights to both series, there is effectively no more competition with either one.
