SX Global Unveils Plans for FIM Supercross World Championship Series

Global series promises to elevate the sport & expand global fanbase, offering unprecedented financial support for teams & riders, along with the sport’s richest prize purses.

SX Global, the Australian company that recently earned the  exclusive rights to manage and promote the FIM Supercross World Championship, today unveiled plans  for the comprehensive global championship series. Featuring an independent team-ownership model,  unprecedented financial support for teams and riders, expanded opportunities for global and local  sponsors and innovations to elevate the broadcast and in-stadium experience; the FIM Supercross World  Championship represent the most progressive and ambitious platform to elevate the sport and expand  its appeal across the world.  

The series will feature a highly exclusive structure, with only 10 team licenses available to independent  owners, and an unparalleled level of financial support for teams, including seed funding for every team  entering the series, appearance fees at every event, and logistics and freight support throughout the  series. In total, more than $50 million has been designated specifically for team and rider support over  five years. In addition, the independent ownership model opens the door for significant sponsorship  opportunities on global and local-event levels. 

The global series will feature the richest prize purses in the sport’s history, with a total of $250,000 up for  grabs at each event. The FIM Supercross World Championship will follow the established two-class format,  with each team fielding four riders – two in the WSX (450cc) class, and two in the SX2 (250cc) class. Furthermore, every event will allow for two wild card entries in each class, providing opportunities for  local riders and sponsor-driven exemptions and round out the 22-rider field. SX Global also plans to deliver  an elevated experience for fans, through unique race formats, broadcast innovations, and in-stadium  attractions that elevate the overall entertainment experience.  

Plans for the global Championship series were underscored today by the news of Mubadala Capital’s  investment in SX Global, bringing an unprecedented level of financial support and development resources  on behalf of the FIM Supercross World Championship. Mubadala Capital, the asset management arm of  Mubadala Investment Company, a sovereign investor with $243 billion in assets under management,  brings a wealth of experience in funding the development of global business and sports ventures.  

“There is a massive fanbase and untapped demand for supercross outside the United States and backed  by the financial support and significant resource of Mubadala Capital, we intend to feed that, bringing the  sport to new regions through the most exciting and lucrative World Championship series in the history of  the sport,” said Tony Cochrane, President of SX Global. “We have created an entirely new model for  supercross – one that emphasizes expanded financial support and opportunities for riders and teams,  expanded opportunities for sponsorship and an elevated experience for fans.”

The FIM Supercross World Championship will annually take place in the second half of the year, ensuring  a complimentary relationship to the Monster Energy Supercross Series in America. With plans for five  events from September through November, 2022 will serve as a “pilot” season, allowing the series to  establish itself and build momentum. 2023, and subsequent years, will see the series expand annually between June and November. 

While the supercross series in the United States has firmly established itself as the preeminent platform  for the sport, there has yet to be a definitive global series to lay claim to a true FIM-sanctioned World  Championship. Highly successful events are held throughout Europe and Australia every year, normally  around September–December. However, these events are not currently linked by any official FIM  ‘championship’ status, and this remains a significant untapped opportunity for the sport’s ongoing  credibility and evolution, as well as a significant opportunity for riders and teams to expand their influence  and financial prospects. 

“Over the years, there have been various attempts to build a true World Championship series for  supercross, but none of them have succeeded, due to deficiencies in funding and resource, lack of global  and regional relationships and a variety of other factors,” said Adam Bailey, Managing Director,  Motorsport, for SX Global. “Our team possess the necessary supercross and international event  background, relationships and expertise, and the funding to make this World Championship a reality.” 

SX Global brings a team of highly qualified motorsports and entertainment executives, armed with the  experience to successfully deliver a series of this magnitude. SX Global President, Tony Cochrane,  spearheaded the development and success of V8 Supercars, an Australian-based auto racing series that  became one of Australia’s most successful motorsports, eventually expanding with events in Shanghai,  the United States, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and New Zealand. In addition, proven supercross event veterans 

Adam Bailey and Ryan Sanderson have been the driving force behind Australia’s highest-profile supercross  offering, the AUS-X open. The duo has promoted five years of consecutive sold out AUS-X Open events in  Sydney (2015-2018) and Melbourne (2019), along with successful events in Auckland, New Zealand in  2018 and 2019. 

“Our entire careers have been driven by a passion for motorsport and entertainment, and our motivations  are as pure as they come – to continue to evolve and elevate our sport and its incredible athletes to new  levels of global relevance and success,” said Ryan Sanderson, Managing Director, Commercial, for SX  Global “Our aim is to take the amazing sport of supercross global and reveal its greatness to millions of  new fans all over the world.”

Mubadala Capital Backs SX Global To Launch New FIM Supercross World Championship

Mubadala Capital, the asset management subsidiary of Mubadala Investment  Company, one of the world’s leading sovereign investors with US$243 billion of assets under management, today  announced its investment in SX Global, an Australian company established to develop, promote, and  commercialize the FIM Supercross World Championship.  

Mubadala Capital has established a track record of successfully investing in category leaders across sports, media,  and entertainment—including EMI Music Publishing, Endeavor Group Holdings, Reigning Champs, Ultimate  Fighting Championship (UFC) and the Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network (YES Network), among  others—and this investment continues its history of backing world-class management teams in building  differentiated global sports, media and entertainment businesses.  

Mubadala Capital’s investment will support SX Global’s expansion plans for supercross and its efforts to capitalize  on the exclusive rights it has secured from the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) to manage and  promote the new FIM Supercross World Championship, bringing the exciting sport of off-road motorbike racing  to fans across the globe in a new competitive format.  

“Our commitment to SX Global and the FIM Supercross World Championship builds on our strategy and track  record of selectively investing in premier content properties with strong global appeal,” said Adib Martin Mattar,  Head of Private Equity at Mubadala Capital. “We expect that our investment in SX Global will introduce the  exciting sport of professional supercross to a global audience and build lasting value by delivering an authentic,  exciting and fan-centric experience.”  

SX Global’s President, Tony Cochrane, added, “We’re proud to partner with Mubadala Capital, a company that  shares our vision and global aspirations for the FIM Supercross World Championship. With the international  reach, resources, and business building experience of Mubadala Capital alongside us, we’re looking forward to  establishing FIM Supercross World Championship as a leading global motorsport and entertainment property.”  

Representing Mubadala Capital on the SX Global Board of Directors will be Matt Kim and Russ Pillar, who  collectively bring decades of experience backing and leading global sports, media, and entertainment companies.  They will be joining Tony Cochrane, SX Global’s President; Adam Bailey, SX Global’s Managing Director  (Motorsport); Ryan Sanderson, SX Global’s Managing Director (Commercial); Tom Potter, Rush Sport &  Entertainment; and Tavo Hellmund, Founder, Event Partners Marketing, on SX Global’s Board of Directors.  

In December 2021, the FIM awarded SX Global the exclusive organisational and commercial rights to stage,  manage and promote the FIM Supercross World Championship. Under the leadership of the SX Global Team, and  with the financial backing and support of Mubadala Capital, Supercross will become a true global sports property,  competing on a legitimate international platform for the first time in history. The FIM Supercross World  Championship will commence in late 2022.