Eurosport has lost its rights to show MotoGP from 2009 onwards, meaning that coverage of the world's premier motorcycle racing series is left, for British fans at least, in the fickle hands of the BBC.
A spokesman for Dorna, which owns the commercial rights for MotoGP, said: "The decision is part of Dorna’s new strategy of working with national network broadcasters around Europe, always focusing first and foremost on free-to-air coverage to bring MotoGP to wider audiences. This means that in the UK, the BBC will enjoy exclusive coverage of MotoGP next year, whilst in Spain and Italy, where MotoGP enjoys long-term agreements with TVE and Mediaset respectively, negotiations are ongoing about extending coverage to more hours during the weekend."