To adapt to the current situation, a company specializing in television and its derivatives must be very responsive and have a highly developed ability to adapt. Despite its still recent experience of motorcycle Grands Prix, Canal+ has been able to adapt to current tastes and continues to adapt on a daily basis. David Dumain, MotoGP commentator, explains the situation from the inside.
How are you handling the current situation on Canal+ regarding the motorcycle Grands Prix?
“We stay as close as possible to the news of the Motorcycle Grands Prix, with exclusive interviews carried out by Marina Lorenzo with several MotoGP riders, but also with “MotoGP at home” broadcasts when there is news. »
“There is also a great documentary offering on motorcycles with rebroadcasts of a certain number of reports that we produced in 2019, notably Invisible on Marc Márquez or Sport Reporter on Fabio Quartararo. We also aired the Gardner documentary called Wayne, which I loved. »
“I also had the pleasure of commenting on the virtual races which were broadcast with the MotoGP riders controller in hand. I didn't know what to expect and I really enjoyed it, it allows me to discover them in a different setting. In addition, it was a real audience success. »
There is talk of a GP without spectators. What do you think ?
“If this is a solution to allow the Championship to take place without risking the health of spectators and those involved in the championship, I think everyone will be happy with it. »
“We will do everything so that Grand Prix fans can experience the race intensely on television even if they are not in the stands. »
What do you think of a single bike per rider?
“If it is a real solution to limit the number of people around motorcycles, it must be considered because it can allow the competition to be held in the necessary safety conditions. »
“But I think it should not stay like this if the situation returns to normal, because even if it is necessary to limit costs, MotoGP must remain the ultimate category where riders can have two bikes to give the best of themselves. »
If many of the 2020 World Championships, across all sports, took place between October and January (possibly), that could create a gigantic amount of sports footage to broadcast. How would you go about it?
“This actually risks creating a superposition of sporting events, with the headache that this entails in establishing a hierarchy between each sport, each discipline. »
“MotoGP fans responded from the first year of broadcasting the races on Canal+, I know that we will do our best to offer them everything possible at the end of the year, but it is impossible for me to say more, since we do not yet have the details of the motorcycle calendar and other sports. »
Will you have to renegotiate many contracts? Because this situation was not provided for in the original agreements.
“It's a part that doesn't belong to me, even if I know the question will inevitably arise.
Apart from your work for Canal+, what are your activities?
“I have considerably reduced my activity to devote myself to the Grands Prix, but I wanted to keep some space for the written press. So I write for Moto Heroes and Petrol Head, where I had to give up my position as editor-in-chief, as well as for Option Auto.
“Otherwise I remain producer of the digital show Sans Concession on social networks. Finally, I wrote a book that I finished during confinement, “20 Extraordinary Motorcycle Stories”, and I am preparing another for Fnac with the author Jean-Louis Basset.”
