Ten years of broadcasting the MotoGP has zipped by at the speed of Francesco Bagnaia for TNT Sports.
In 2013, when it was still known as BT Sports, the broadcaster won the UK TV rights to broadcast the motorcycling world's answer to Formula 1. In combination with Dorna, who have been the organisers of the MotoGP since 1991, TNT Sports' coverage of the adrenaline-fuelled motorsport has been moving at a rapid pace.
Yet, when I was invited into the heart of TNT Sports' broadcasting operation in the Netherlands for the MotoGP in Assen, I was blown away by the slick, efficient and, surprisingly, small operation that greeted me. Those who are naive to the broadcast operations of major sporting events may imagine a gigantic, television screen-filled truck the size of most £2000pcm flats in London.
Fans may picture a scene of dozens of fleece-wearing workers, each wearing gigantic headphones that make them look like Mickey Mouse. However, as is often the case with most things, less is more when it comes to broadcasting one of the most frenetic, unpredictable, dangerous and vast sports on the planet today.
TNT Sports has upped the game when it comes to broadcasting MotoGP and they invited Mirror Sport to come and witness their on-site operation first-hand. The walk to their base in Assen is an exciting, if not terrifying one. You find yourself constantly jumping out of the way of motorbikes and scooters, many of which are electric and thus completely silent as they tear their way towards you from behind in the paddocks.
When you arrive, there is no giant truck with dozens of television screens, nor is there a small army of black-shirted producers and runners, scuttling about like ants. Their operation is small, efficient and carried out almost entirely within small yellow porta cabins. Kevin Brown, the series editor of MotoGP for TNT Sports, said: "It's always been metal porta cabins. It’s not salubrious, it doesn't look flashy. They're metal porta cabins, but they work.
“It's not so much the buildings or the trucks, it's not how good they are, it's what's inside that counts. It's the people, and the technical side of it is really clever. The work that is done by all the technical people here, the people at Dorna and the people back in London at the offices in Chiswick is incredible."
He added: “We used to take 28 people to each race because the whole team would come here and we’d do it in these porta cabins, but we would have a full gallery, and all of the staff that worked on it would all have to be here - now we bring 16."
The way the broadcasting world can capture sport has evolved at terrifying speeds. Drones, helicopters, and cameras capable of capturing lightning-fast incidents with laser-like precision are extremely common. Yet, only one thing matters to Brown and TNT Sports - the story and the protagonists involved.
“Our job is to tell the story, but also take people to an event that they can't go to," Brown added. "I think that's always the thing with live sport, to try and transport people from their living rooms to an event that they would actually like to be at.
"There is a lot of talking, a lot of organising, a lot of creative thought because it's not just writing a story. It’s TV, it’s so visual, you’ve got to try and make it entertaining for people.
“Things have accelerated so quickly in the last couple of years, it feels like we are up to where we can get at the moment with the technology that's available. People are always coming up with things, but will it improve the programme? I don't know.
"It's not about doing things for the sake of it, it's doing things that will actually give the people at home a better experience, and that's what we're here to do. We're not here to show off new inventions and things like that. We're here to make sure that the people who can't come to the event get the best possible experience of the event. At the moment, I think we've got the technology to do that."
TNT Sports and Dorna's coverage are supplemented by a top-class team of commentators and pundits made up of lead commentator Gavin Emmett, motorsport reporter and former host of the Gadget Show Suzi Perry and former World Super Bikes star Neil Hodgson as co-commentator. Unlike the vast majority of sports, all riders from the fearless youngsters in Moto3 to the seasoned riders on the main circuit, risk their well-being and lives for glory.
On a weekly basis, there are often multiple crashes, which see riders thrown into the air off their bikes at speeds of up to 200mph. As grim as it sounds, crashes and collisions are a huge part of the spectacle - the more dangerous the crash, the more interest that can be generated. Not since Jason Dupasquier's fatal collision in qualifying at the 2021 Italian GP has there been a fatality during an event.
There is a difficult balance both TNT Sports and Dorna have to strike between broadcasting the terrifying spectacle that is the crashes while also having the responsibility of ensuring they are not showing the death or serious injury of a rider. Brown added: "We cannot control the world feed, that’s done by Dorna. But what we know about Dorna is there's a protocol which is all agreed with the broadcasters, that when they're following the stuff around the circuit, they see everything the camera operators see.
“But, if they know a rider is seriously injured, they won't show a replay until they know that the rider is okay. Dorna are very much in touch with the marshals and race control. They will get a shout as to say, ‘Is the rider okay’ and only if the rider's ok, do they show a replay.
"In the football at the start of Euro 2024 when the Hungarian player collided with the goalkeeper during the Scotland game, I think they ran the replay too quickly as people at home weren't sure if he was okay or not. I think we're perhaps a bit more used to that because I think you can often quickly tell if a rider's okay most of the time."
When the races are not in motion, Perry is often the face of the show. She is directing the conversation, painting a picture of what is happening within the paddocks and doing so in a cool and concise manner. Yet, within her earpiece, Perry is in the middle of a town hall-like environment, with multiple voices telling her things at the same time.
She said: “I have the editor of the show, who’s on-site here, Kevin, I have the director who's in London and also the PA who is counting us into breaks and things like that and that's, continuous. So for six hours, I have all those voices in my head and obviously anybody that we're talking to.
“So there's a way to split your brain to hear what you need in terms of work and what you're listening to for programme sound. To hear the interviews to pick up on things, it's quite interesting, and it's funny because anybody new that comes in and listens, they get blown away, they take their headphones off and are like: ‘How can you do this? It’s insanity'.
"This is insanity, but I've done it for such a long time that it’s just normal for me. It’s sort of a problem because if you're in a restaurant, I can hear several different conversations going on around. I have to really focus on what I’m supposed to be doing, but it's great, actually."
The live coverage on the show is where most of the magic happens, yet there is another world to dominate - social media. More than 100,000 people attend each Grand Prix. In the 2023 campaign, 2,857,925 people were counted as attending a MotoGP event across 21 Grand Prix. Yet, the sport struggles to compete with the likes of football from a social media point of view.
When it comes down to building TNT Sports' MotoGP presence on social media, 27-year-old content whizz Louie Dunphy is responsible. He is only a year into his role as social media manager, but he has already figured out what tends to do well for the sport. He said: “We’ve been fighting with the boxing and the football in the Euros to get out to the audience and get our content to the top. It’s all about finding something different. There was a moment I uploaded on Instagram of a big hare running across the track.
“I didn’t put up anything like Bagnaia winning the sprint race because it is not going to hit that audience. It’s about finding those little moments. There was also something that happened, I think in America when a Moto3 rider had a crash and then got on the wrong bike. That did really well. It didn’t matter that it was in Moto3, that sort of moment is universal it is a mistake. It’s about finding those funny moments."
Punditry has also evolved when it comes to broadcasting. Not too long ago, most viewers would go and make a cup of tea when the action had paused or would fast forward if they had recorded the event. Now pundits are significant players in sport coverage, offering their cutting opinions on the performances or controversies that have unfolded.
Hodgson is MotoGP's answer to Gary Neville. A former racer who has become known for the staunch opinions he says as a co-commentator and pundit. He too is working in the porta cabins in Assen, sitting in front of a large advertising board within, in front of three split screens alongside lead commentator Emmett, who narrates every turn and twist in the races.
During his racing days, Hodgson admitted he used to take all criticisms to heart, even if they were said after a long monologue of praise. Now he is on the other side of the picture, Hodgson speaks his mind.
The 50-year-old said: “I’ll never say anything harsh about a rider for clickbait - I would never do that. I’m not thirsting for attention and headline-grabbing. I try to be as straight and honest as I can. I’ve worked with some pundits, I won’t name names, who would never say anything negative about a rider.
“One pundit I am thinking of would say, ‘You know, most riders have TNT Sports on in their motorhomes’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’m well aware of that’. That doesn’t mean I will lie if someone asks, ‘What about that poor performance from the rider?’
"I’m not going to say ‘Actually, it wasn’t that bad. A 12th-placed finish from a rider who should be on the podium’. I would call it straight. I’m not trying to be best friends and I’m not trying to make any enemies. I’d like to think I’d be respected for being honest. And, it’s what I am paid to do. I’m paid to give an honest opinion.”
Watch every moment of practice, qualifying and race action from all MotoGP race weekends throughout the season, exclusively live on TNT Sports and discovery+
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