Innovation in the world’s fastest motorcycle racing championship

First, a disclaimer: I am a huge MotoGP™ fan. I am always looking for ways to get as close to the track action as possible because at 350km/h, I think, details are important. It’s incredibly exciting for me to see the constant push for innovation and progress in the sport. Innovation is also what drives the prototype machines on the grid.

Dorna – the organisation behind the sport and Tata Communications’ customer – seeks to harness the power of the latest digital technologies to take fans like me closer to the heart of the action. I have had the privilege to see how Dorna looks to use these technologies to complement each and every interaction fans have with MotoGP™, wherever they might be.

Immersion through digital technologies 

Digital platforms have transformed the production and delivery of content, with changing consumption habits playing a key role in shaping today’s sports industry.

Behind the scenes, Dorna has embraced remote production, harnessing Tata Communications’ network, cloud and low-latency content delivery capabilities. This means that parts of the MotoGP™ action can now be produced by the team remotely, at the Dorna HQ in Barcelona – even if the race might be happening thousands of miles away.

From fans’ perspective, there are now more camera angles, better cameras, more ways to watch, and higher quality video. All these are now standard, but the cycle of innovation never stops.

Onboard cameras took fans on a thrill ride like never before, and now content can be streamed in live 360 degrees from the midst of a MotoGP™ race – raising the bar once again. Social media fosters and promotes interaction between riders and fans, and brings breaking news to everyone’s fingertips.

Live 360-degree video and onboard feeds, social media and other aspects of this digital culture allow a new level of immersion for fans of the world’s fastest motorcycle racing championship. Within this culture lies the opportunity for Dorna to provide a truly enriching multi-platform experience.

To put it another way: before, viewers like me would dream of watching Valentino Rossi ride. Now, we can ride with him.

Every sight and sound…

Innovation means constant evolution. One of the areas that Tata Communications is working on is how to harness the power of the Internet of Things (IoT) and augmented reality (AR) to create more powerful, multi-dimensional sports experiences for fans – whether they are following the action at the track or pitch or stadium, at home, or on the move.

It’s an exciting idea for fans of any sport, but within the world of MotoGP™, those possibilities are truly tantalising. Fans at the circuit are already able to enjoy every sight, sound and roar up-close – but now, those watching remotely need not compromise. In today’s super-connected, data-powered world, it is possible to stream different points of view and access so much real-time data on demand that the viewing experience is elevated to a whole new level.

Working with us helps Dorna to re-imagine how it manages the distribution of each race to its broadcast partners worldwide and build a digital-ready platform able to keep up with the incredible pace of technology innovation.

As the present continually rushes to meet the future, we are committed to continuing to innovate with Dorna to give MotoGP™ and WorldSBK fans the high-quality, exhilarating and increasingly immersive racing experiences they crave.

Read more about new innovations for sports fans here.