Spark Sport takes MotoGP from Sky

Jeremy Alcoba of Spain and Kommerling Gresini Moto3 leads the field during the qualifying for the Portugal MotoGP on November 21, 2020. Photo / Getty

Spark Sport has become the new official New Zealand broadcaster of MotoGP, replacing the incumbent Sky.

The deal covers the 2021 – 2023 seasons of MotoGP, as well as the Moto2 and Moto3 classes of the top-tier global motorcycling competition.

It comes off the back of the sports streaming service securing its first New Zealand Grand Prix and Castrol Toyota Racing Series earlier this year, and Spark Sport's existing Formula 1 and WRC deals.

The streamer would not disclose terms, but the deal is likely small potatoes.

Still, the very fact that Spark is signing new content deals will be of interest to close watchers of the streaming wars.

It runs counter to the Jarden narrative that Spark's sale of Lightbox to Sky last year was the precursor to the telco exiting the streaming market altogether.

Spark refused to break out any financials or viewing numbers for Spark Spark during its recent half-year report.

But the company did offer that the recent Blackcaps-Australia series generated the highest number of Spark Sport streams since the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

And network operator Chorus credited the cricket series as one of the factors behind internet traffic records set over February and early March.