KUALA LUMPUR – Sepang International Circuit (SIC) is considering reviewing MotoGP ticket prices and track rental charges as rising operating costs and increasing hosting fees put pressure on its finances.
SIC chief executive officer Azhan Shafriman Hanif said the circuit would also explore new revenue streams to ensure it could meet its financial commitments while keeping the event affordable for fans.
“Hopefully, we will review the prices and ensure that any increase does not burden fans too much. But we need to review prices because our costs have increased,” he told Bernama in an interview here today.
Azhan said the last ticket price review was believed to have taken place in 2022, following the Covid-19 pandemic.
The circuit would also examine other areas within its premises that could generate additional income to help cover future increases in MotoGP hosting rights fees.
Malaysia has hosted MotoGP at SIC since 1999, except in 2020 and 2021, when the event was cancelled due to the pandemic.
In July, the Youth and Sports Ministry announced a five-year extension of Malaysia’s hosting rights from 2027 to 2031, involving estimated total financing of RM457 million.
Under a progressive cost-sharing arrangement, SIC will contribute 10% of the annual hosting and organising costs in 2027, with its share rising to 50% by 2031 to reduce reliance on federal funding.
Azhan said the government had previously borne the full hosting rights fee, while much of the event’s economic benefits accrued to businesses such as hotels, food and beverage operators, logistics providers and local suppliers.
SIC’s direct revenue from the event comes mainly from ticket sales, hospitality packages, retail vending and other commercial activities within the circuit.
However, Azhan stressed that improvements to the spectator experience would be necessary before any ticket price increase could be introduced.
“We planned to increase the price a few years back, but we think that the product needs improvement before we increase the ticket price. We can learn from our F1 experience,” he said.
He said lessons from Formula One included the need for better spectator facilities, such as giant screens, sound systems, access to drinking water and shaded areas.
These improvements would be among the areas SIC would assess before revising MotoGP ticket prices.
The circuit would also evaluate the performance of its various ticket categories, although the extent of any potential increase had yet to be determined.
On track rental charges, Azhan said rising operating expenses were squeezing profit margins, with current rates ranging from RM70,000 to RM80,000 per day, inclusive of marshals and circuit facilities.
SIC would review its rates against those charged by other domestic and international circuits while taking into account the needs of Malaysian event organisers.
“What we need to know is the comparison with tracks around us and also international tracks. How much are they charging? How much are we charging? It goes back to the value and whether the value we provide is commensurate with what they pay,” he said.
Azhan said SIC was also looking to reduce discounts by offering additional facilities and services instead, while considering support for longstanding customers.
“There will always be disgruntled customers when we increase prices. But I think everyone should understand that we are running a business and, to a certain extent, we need to survive in the coming years,” he said.
“If we still maintain the same prices and the same offerings, I do not think SIC can survive. We will look at the value we provide to customers.”
Beyond its financial strategy, Azhan also expects changes to MotoGP’s business model under its new management, particularly in fan engagement and efforts to attract audiences beyond its traditional following.
US-based Liberty Media Corp completed its acquisition of Dorna Sports SL, MotoGP’s commercial rights holder, in July 2025, paving the way for potential changes to the championship’s commercial and audience engagement strategies.
“Recently, we have seen fans coming to F1 who are not hardcore F1 or motorsport fans. This is what MotoGP is trying to address, namely, how to bring a bigger crowd to MotoGP,” he said.
Azhan pointed to F1’s growth after Liberty Media’s takeover and said MotoGP was pursuing similar approaches.
“There are many plans that I have heard of from MotoGP. We will probably have a MotoGP version of Drive to Survive on Netflix in the coming years. And the fan engagement that MotoGP will do will be quite similar to what F1 has used,” he added.
He noted that domestic spectators typically accounted for about 70 per cent of attendance. In comparison, international visitors made up about 20 to 30 per cent, with Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia the top three source countries.
Azhan said an equal split between domestic and foreign spectators over the next five years would be ideal.
“We have to work hard to get more international visitors coming in. We have to work hand in hand with Tourism Malaysia, together with MotoGP, to do more promotion to attract more foreign tourists to Malaysia,” he said.
Beyond pricing, SIC’s five- to 10-year masterplan aims to attract investors to develop facilities around the circuit, supported by a land sublease agreement signed with Malaysia Airports.
Azhan said income from the developments would help meet future rights fee payments, with a hotel and a secure vehicle storage facility among the projects under consideration. - October 28, 2026
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