Motogp.com the worst motorsports website?

[CaptainRaiden]

Boy it's been quiet here. Anyway, I think Motogp.com needs some serious overhaul if Dorna hopes to bring in more fans to the sport. The ratio of subscription to free videos is just way too less. You'd be lucky to find any major free videos. Even after a raceday, all there is, are some pictures and results. For all the rest of it you have to be subscribed to a paid package.

Okay, streaming races I can understand, but such miniscule things as rider interviews etc. should be absolutely free! It seems like they don't want the sport to grow at a faster rate.

UFC.com is a great example of free content like previous fights, fighter interviews, video blogs, short features being used to hype future fights, and the results are astounding. MMA, thanks to UFC now is the world's fastest growing sport and has gone global with amazing viewing figures.

MotoGP can do something similar by showing classic races, duels, fights for victories, crazy overtakings etc. for free to hype the upcoming race, but all that you get to watch for free is Rossi's special helmet design for Mugello video. Having a better website will always help to have a more global presence and loyal fanbase.

[patnicholls]

(You were Jan Yeo in the past, yes?)

Yes, agree with what you've said - in this day and age once the live action has happened the videos are effectively out there anyway so will always pop up on YouTube however many times they're taken down, so it seems futile to try and keep them behind a subscription. Old action always loses value anyway - I have a bunch of season reviews and watch them very rarely indeed because the sport just moves on.

It's simply a case of giving as many as possible access to the product - with us being bombarded with so much information in the Facebook era he who shouts loudest gets heard (out of interest, a friend of mine works in web support at the BBC and of course their Sport site was revamped six months ago to prioritise football whilst pushing some other sports to the background - that's what bike racing is up against)...

[NinjaMaster]

By and large I don't mind the layout of MotoGP.com and it has excellent in depth statistics and information but their news is a bit thin and their overall promotion is definitely lacking. They need more give and less take. More free video (interviews, race highlights, etc.) need to be available whilst still keeping some stuff up their sleeve for subscribers (live streaming, full replays, full exclusive interviews, etc) and also not be so draconian on social media. When someone posts a 15 second clip on Youtube, don't take it down, let it go viral! That way everybody wins!

[CaptainRaiden]

(You were Jan Yeo in the past, yes?)

Nope, I was X-ecutioner before. ;)

Both of you have brought up great points.

I too agree that streaming of races should be strictly paid and require a subscription, but the rest of it should be simply free. Nobody wants to subscribe to a package to see Sandro Cortese's interview. Well, maybe a small group of people from his hometown. But if it's for free, maybe I'd give it a watch while having my morning cup of coffee.

They are missing out big time by refusing to allow content that other websites just give away for free, and that too in spades. This is the trend right now, to provide free content, let them go viral, and make profits off of the advertisements. Motogp.com's stingy approach to the whole thing is certainly not winning them any fans or any new subscriptions. That's probably why I get emails from them in the mid-year slashing their subscription rates by 50%.

Certain race highlights require you to be subscribed, and that even Formula1.com provides for free as race edits.

People get to watch the races live on their TV. A very select few in Antarctica I presume would subscribe to the online streaming package. What other value is their website offering? If there'd be a free build-up video about the upcoming race, with circuit info, past season's winner, historic races at that circuit, it would only help peak the viewer's interest. Which bike fan wouldn't watch that if it were free?