The World Rally Championship is looking for a new commercial rights holder. On Thursday, the FIA announced the start of a tender process in partnership with current rights holders KW25 Beteiligungs GmbH and Red Bull Media House.

KW25 is a German investment company that jointly operates WRC Promoter GmbH alongside Red Bull Media House. As the commercial rights holder, all WRC content that isn’t team-exclusive like photos and highlight reels are freely available on the Red Bull Content Pool.

However, both owners have been looking to sell off WRC Promoter since August 2024 and approached JPMorgan for assistance.

“The FIA World Rally Championship is at an exciting moment in its history,” started FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem. “Millions of fans around the world are following the action, and new, younger audiences are driving its global growth. This championship has enormous potential, and it is our responsibility as governing body to ensure it continues to grow and reaches new heights.

“This process is an important step and will shape the long-term vision for the WRC, and I am confident that, together with the right partner, we can take the championship to the next level, preserve its proud heritage, and grow its global reach for generations of fans to come.”

WRC Promoter also holds the same rights for the European Rally Championship. Its subsidiary Rallycross Promoter also used to do so for World and European Rallycross until the FIA took over in March.

“The FIA World Rally Championship is the longest-running motorsport series of its kind, one of the most thrilling competitions in the world, with a unique heritage and an exciting growth trajectory ahead,” offered FIA sports deputy president and M-Sport owner Malcolm Wilson. “The tender process for the commercial rights holder is a big opportunity for a new enterprise to take the championship into its next chapter with renewed energy and investment. We will work with Red Bull and KW25 to find the best fit for this important role.”

Featured image credit: Jaanus Ree / Red Bull Content Pool