Features
FS2 Will Be The New Home of MotoAmerica
Since taking over the series formerly known as AMA Superbike, the KRAVE Group, led by former world champion Wayne Rainey, continues to face the uphill climb of rebuilding American road racing, which has fallen on hard times.
For 2018, MotoAmerica made huge rule changes and have worked to rebrand the once-popular series. Revzilla has a nice article on how the changes have gone. Late in 2018, the AMA announced a deal that will keep the AMA Superbike Championship with MotoAmerica through the 2029 season.
One major challenge the series faced was getting a good TV package. The series previously aired on beIN Sports, not exactly a very well-known network, but will move to Fox Sports in 2019. The series announced today that FS2 is now the new “Home of MotoAmerica Superbike Racing,” with the network airing 90 minutes of live or same-day coverage of the MotoAmerica Superbike class on both Saturday and Sunday from each of the 10 rounds of the 2019 championship.
In addition, there will also be 90-minute re-airs within seven days of each event on FS2, with a total of 45 hours of the series scheduled.
“We’re very pleased to have FS2 as the home of MotoAmerica Superbike racing,” said MotoAmerica President Wayne Rainey. “This is a big step forward for us as a series as nearly 57 million households will now have the opportunity to see what competitive, exciting racing we have in the MotoAmerica Superbike Series. We know that FS2 will do a great job of bringing our racing into the homes of our existing fans and it will also put our series in front of a lot of new fans as well.”
“Adding the MotoAmerica Superbike Series to FS2 continues a long history of exciting motor sports action available on the FOX Sports family of networks,” said Josh Oakley, FOX Sports VP Acquisitions & Programming. “FS2 is a destination for motor sports fans, and MotoAmerica delivers on the expectations of our viewers.”
This is a good first step for the series, as FS2 has a reach of nearly 57 million households, according to Nielsen Media Research. Below is the tentative schedule:
FS2 Tentative Broadcast Schedule (90-Minute Programs/Eastern Time)
| Saturday, April 6: Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta Superbikes (Race 1), 2:30 p.m. |
| Sunday, April 7: Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta Superbikes (Race 2), 2:30 p.m. |
| Saturday, April 13: Circuit of The Americas Superbikes (Race 1), 6:30 p.m. |
| Sunday, April 14: Circuit of The Americas Superbikes (Race 2), 3:30 p.m. |
| Saturday, May 4: VIRginia International Raceway Superbikes (Race 1), 8 p.m. |
| Sunday, May 5: VIRginia International Raceway Superbikes (Race 2), 6:30 p.m. |
| Saturday, June 1: Road America Superbikes (Race 1), 8 p.m. |
| Sunday, June 2: Road America Superbikes (Race 2), 6 p.m. |
| Saturday, June 15: Utah Motorsports Campus Superbikes (Race 1), 6 p.m. |
| Sunday, June 16: Utah Motorsports Campus Superbikes (Race 2), 8 p.m. |
| Saturday, July 13: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Superbikes (Race 1), 8 p.m. |
| Sunday, July 14: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Superbikes (Race 2) 6 p.m. |
| Saturday, August 10: Sonoma Raceway Superbikes (Race 2), 9 p.m. |
| Sunday, August 11: Sonoma Raceway Superbikes (Race 2) 11 p.m. |
| Saturday, August 24: Pittsburgh International Race Complex Superbikes (Race 1), 7 p.m. |
| Sunday, August 25: Pittsburgh International Race Complex Superbikes (Race 2), 9:30 p.m. |
| Saturday, September 7: New Jersey Motorsports Park Superbikes (Race 1), 6:30 p.m. |
| Sunday, September 8: New Jersey Motorsports Park Superbikes (Race 2), 6:30 p.m. |
| Saturday, September 21: Barber Motorsports Park Superbikes (Race 1), 6:30 p.m. |
| Sunday, September 22: Barber Motorsports Park Superbikes (Race 2), 9 p.m. |
Main image: Brian J. Nelson/MotoAmerica