MotoGP extends Sportian deal

MotoGP organiser Dorna Sports has extended its ant-piracy deal with Sportian, the sport division of Globant.

A long term partner of the competition, Sportian originally started working with Dorna five years ago, when it was run by LaLiga - it switched to the Sportian brand when Globant took a 51% stake in 2023. It tracks and removes illegal content from across social media, apps, video-on-demand (VOD) services, search engines, and illegal streaming sites, using its Piracy Guard product. 

This extension will see Sportian look at the use of AI and machine learning in its protection services. 

Dan Rossomondo, chief commercial officer of Dorna Sports, said: “Sportian has been a valuable partner in safeguarding our content over the last five years. Their technology and expertise have significantly reduced the impact of piracy on our sport, ensuring that our global audience continues to enjoy the most exciting sport on Earth through the official broadcasters who invest to create a top-quality viewing experience. Piracy is an ongoing threat affecting the live sports market, and we will continue investing in and partnering up with the best anti-piracy providers to tackle it. Sportian is a point of reference in this area and we are excited to extend our partnership and continue strengthening the fight against illegal streaming.”

Pablo Lo Giudice, business lead for content protection at Sportian, added: “MotoGP is a pioneer in protecting sports content for the digital era, and we are proud to extend our successful partnership. Our ability to achieve continued improvements, even while the volume of piracy increases, is testament to MotoGP and WorldSBK’s commitment to stay one step ahead in this fight and demonstrate best practise in the sports industry. As we continue to incorporate the latest AI tools into our product suite, we will continue to evolve our offering to ensure sports content remains secure and accessible through official channels.”