RACER has acquired MAVTV and will rebrand the motorsports TV network to extend its footprint across cable, FAST, and streaming platforms. Announced March 27, the deal expands RACER’s reach to more than 350 million devices and reinforces its ambition to become the central hub for racing fans and the marketers who want to reach them.
This move has been a long time coming. The two sides have worked together for years, with formal discussions accelerating in the fourth quarter of last year. And while financial terms remain undisclosed, the strategy is crystal clear: build the most followed and diverse motorsports platform on the continent.
RACER founder and CEO Paul Pfanner didn’t mince words. This deal reinforces two of the company’s four strategic pillars, “follow” and “market,” which are all about building scale and offering a turnkey media solution for brands across motorsports and its adjacent verticals like car culture, performance automotive, and off-road. It’s the kind of multi-platform pitch that resonates with sponsors looking for measurable impact.
No layoffs are expected. The acquisition strengthens RACER’s geographic footprint by adding MAVTV’s base in Indianapolis, giving it a presence in another major U.S. motorsports hub alongside its Irvine headquarters.
CJ Olivares, who will continue to lead the newly renamed RACER Network, brings a track record from Fuel TV, Street League Skateboarding, and the World Surf League. His role will be pivotal as the network expands its live race slate, with more than 300 events planned for 2025, along with lifestyle, auction, documentary, and studio programming that may increasingly pull from RACER’s deep editorial bench.
The rollout will be gradual. Branding elements are already shifting, but operational changes will happen over the months to ensure zero disruption. The result is a bigger platform, a stronger media brand, and a unified ecosystem for motorsports fans, brands, and partners alike.
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