MUMBAI: Eurosport India Thursday announced the onboarding Hindi film actor and biking enthusiast John Abraham as the India ambassador for their flagship motorsport property – MotoGP.
John, who himself is a die-hard MotoGP enthusiast, will be seen promoting MotoGP to a wider audience base in India as its face through Eurosport’s campaign – “MotoGP, Race Lagate Hai”.
Eurosport India’s slate of global motorsports programming includes FIA Formula 2 Championship, W Series, Nascar, Indycar Series and Bennetts British Superbike racing.
Grand Prix motorcycle racing, known as MotoGP worldwide, is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits and is sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM).
Eurosport India, along with Discovery’s streaming app discovery+, have the LIVE & exclusive broadcasting rights for all the three premier classes, viz: Moto 2, Moto 3 and Moto GP for the Indian territory. Prior to the association, John has shared the stage with MotoGP legend “The Doctor” Valentino Rossi and has frequented many MotoGP races.
“It’s a moment of pride for any fan to become India ambassador, and it’s indeed a moment of reckoning for me. I am glad that through this association not only will I be able to showcase my love for MotoGP to all motorsports fans but also help many others understand the fine nuances of a highly technical and skill-oriented sport. I have been a motorsports fan for over 25 years now and I can only thank Eurosport India for associating with me as their friend for MotoGP, which I have been able to follow religiously. I am confident that my association with Eurosport India is only going to bring the sport of MotoGP closer to the hearts of millions of Indian motorsport fans,” John said.
Commenting on the association, Megha Tata, managing director – South Asia, Discovery Inc, said: “Discovery network has always believed in creating passionate communities and bringing on board John Abraham as the India Ambassador for MotoGP is just a step in that direction. Motorsport still has a lot of distance to travel as a mainstream sport in India and we couldn’t find a better fan of Moto GP than John Abraham himself who could join us in making the passionate motorsports fan cheer together for their favourite rider. We are thrilled to begin this partnership and with John’s involvement we are confident that we will elevate this pure sport to greater heights in the years to come.”
Vijay Rajput, senior vice-president – Affiliate Sales and Product Distribution, Asia – India Sales & Distribution at Discovery Inc. and head of Eurosport India, added: “Indians, across the country love superbikes and racing but motorsports is still very community-focused, concentrated at certain pockets, which has resulted in a major part of the country still not being exposed to the thrill and excitement of the biggest global motorcycle race event – MotoGP. Through this power-packed campaign, ‘MotoGP, Race Lagate Hain’ we at Eurosport India along with MotoGP fan John Abraham, aim to expand its reach across the length & breadth of the country also fuelling more conversations around the thrill and competitiveness of the sport. Just like our unparalleled depth in motorsport programming, John’s depth and understanding of motorsports and MotoGP is second to none in this country and hence we are confident of a very fruitful outcome from this association.”
Alongside the announcement of John as brand ambassador, Eurosport also confirmed that Japanese two-wheeler major Yamaha, which the actor not so coincidentally endorses, woiuld be having the Yamaha R15 bike as a co-presenting sponsor for its broadcast in India.
The campaign will have a comprehensive promotional plan across platforms including radio, OOH and digital. While digital and social media will be the key drivers to create conversations and buzz through video content with John, Eurosport is also giving a chance for fans to win exclusive motorsports merchandise signed by the actor.
The next MotoGP race is the Styria Grand Prix, which will air LIVE on Eurosport and discovery+ on Sunday, August 15.
