The World Cup of Resistance of the FIM Open a new era. After ten years with Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe As a promoter, management now goes to Philibert et Associés (Pha). With this change of promoter, the FIM It seeks to give a new impulse to a modality that, although of niche, has a faithful and growing hobby, especially in France, Japan and Central Europe.
The alliance of Pha, Ac and Édions Larivière It seems to gather the necessary experience to lead to EWC Towards a new era, in which tradition and modernity must live together to consolidate their place in the world motorcycling panorama.
In 2015, the arrival of Eurosport Events to the EWC It was a decisive impulse to internationalize discipline. Under its management, television coverage was extended, the image of the championship was reinforced and strategic agreements were achieved again to resistance races on the world motorcycling map.
However, the strategy of Warner Bros. Discovery He has turned to the concentration in his role as a global station, maintaining the international dissemination of the tests through their channels and platforms, but leaving the promotion in the hands of a specialized partner.
Scott YoungWar Executive Vice PresidentNer Bros. Discovery Sports Europehe summarized it: “Our goal is to expand the scope of the EWC, tell the stories of teams and pilots, and continue to bring resistance to new audiences. Having been promoters is a pride, but now we can concentrate on what we best know how to do: retransmit the championship to the entire world”
Pha, a name with weight in the racing organization
The FIM has trusted the future of discipline to Philibert et Associésa company with more than 30 years of experience in the management of large appointments of motorcycling. In fact, Pha It has been, for decades, the organizer of the France Grand Prix of MotoGP in Le Mans, an event that every year brings together more than 200,000 spectators.
In addition, in recent years it has been in charge of revitalization of the 8 hours of spa-Francorchamps, one of the most prestigious tests of the resistance calendar.
His designation does not arrive alone: Pha It will have the support of two key institutions in the world of resistance: on the one hand, the Automobile Club de L’Ouest (ACO), responsible for the legendary 24 Heures Motos de Le Mans, the test that traditionally opens the EWC calendar. And, on the other, Édions Larivièreorganizing company of Bol d’Or, the race that closes the season in the Paul Ricard circuit and that is, along with Le Mans and Suzuka, one of the historical pillars of the championship.
The agreement, driven directly by the president of the FIM, Jorge Viegasseeks to take advantage of the sum of forces of these three entities. The goal is clear: “Modernize, expand and grow the World Resistance Championship in a context in which other disciplines, such as MotoGP or the Superbike World Cup, concentrate much of media care”
Undoubtedly, among the challenges of the new promoter, they include: expanding international visibility with more careers outside Europe, recovering key markets such as Japan and exploring new venues in Asia or America. Promote the public’s experience in the circuits, with more parallel activities and a greater digital interaction.
In addition, they must also ensure the economic stability of private teams, which constitute the soul of the championship, but depend largely on logistics and media support. And, finally, but not least, revalue the unique nature of resistance, where strategy, reliability and teamwork tell as much as pure speed.
