One thing about Arenacross is it is always a great night out. The unique setup of racing in stadiums in big cities offer the opportunity for people outside the sport to enjoy something different and that can help attract new people to the sport – which is very important.
Matt Bates is the man behind running the Arenacross Tour series and we thought we’d catch up with him in Belfast to discuss the series and much more.
GateDrop: So, Matt Bates, let’s talk Arenacross. At the moment we’re doing the interview, we’re three full rounds in. Can you just talk me through the first three rounds and how you feel the racing each night has went for the event?
Bates: Yeah, it’s been amazing, it always is. You know, we’ve got a pretty good series going on. There’s been challenges, there’s always challenges. It doesn’t matter what year you’re in or what reasons they are, but so far this year has been really rewarding, it always is for one reason or another.
Birmingham was great. Then, Wembley. London was amazing. Then last night here at Belfast, for a Friday night, you know, we’ve sometimes struggled on a Friday night in Belfast, which you would in any city because it’s still a working day.
But to pack it out and get the audience into it like we did last night, it was fantastic. So, I would say so far, the 2025 series for Arenacross has been really good.
GateDrop: Just to go back a few years, Arenacross, you decided to make a British Championship only and then obviously last year you got hit with so many injuries. You kind of needed to call the international guys, the French guys to help the series. So this year you’ve changed the series again a little bit where you’re having the international guys at rounds one, six, seven and eight then British only at the other rounds. Is that kind of the happy balance to try and keep everyone happy?
Bates: I think so. You know, there’s an argument to say that it’s still international because of riders like Dean Wilson competing. But at the same time, we needed to find a balance that gives opportunities to our young British riders.
Plus the fact, I think the bit that I want people to understand is that we’re trying very hard to make it an international championship. At the same time, the riders that we’ve had over the years (like Cedric Soubeyras), they’re good guys and they’re very loyal ambassadors. They speak very highly of Arenacross and they get on well with everybody here so they’re always welcome as well being very popular with out fans.
I’ve always wanted to make sure that we’re an open series. So, when we did make it just the British championship, to start with, it wasn’t exactly what I wanted to do straight away. But I had to listen to the likes of Tommy Searle and Conrad Mewse to understand what I needed to do to for Arenacross to progress. I needed to almost start again after Covid, it was a good idea to do it then.
GateDrop: You mentioned Covid there, that couple of years. Just how tough was that for you? Because obviously you had to stop the series altogether and then you had to start from almost series. How tough was that? And having the time off, did it make you even hungrier to start again and get going again?
Bates: Well, as a business, you know, we’re not just in Motocross. So, when you specialise in packing as many people as possible into a small space, Covid wasn’t exactly the friendliest thing to happen. But, you know, it was the same for everybody.
So, yeah, it was tough. But we were faced with the same problems as everybody else, and if I’m being really honest, it was a time that you could measure your life a little bit and go, well, do I want to carry on doing this? To be able to get to here, is this the moment to reset?
So as much as I’m always a believer that from bad, there will always be something good will come of it. (I’m also well aware that wasn’t the outcome for everybody), but that happened to us.
GateDrop: You’ve managed to attract Dean Wilson to the series this year. I believe you’ve been trying to get that over the line for a couple of years. So, how big is it to get him along with Tommy and Conrad for the full series? Dean is very popular, he’s got a big fan base behind him, so that must really help your series…
Bates: It was all about timing. You know, it’s like when I wanted Tommy to be part of it and Conrad. In Dean’s situation, he got to a point in his career where he’s gone, you know, like every rider, well, now I’ve got a family and I want to travel and I want to go and experience different things – and that has without doubt benefitted Arenacross and its fans.
The minute Dean started racing the WSX events, it was like, okay, so he’s got an interest now to come out of the USA. He came out of America and started to look at other countries. So it wasn’t that difficult, but like everything, nine times out of ten, it comes down to two things – timing and money.
If we’re being brutally honest, and let’s be clear about it, these riders are not racing for nothing (and neither should they). But at the same time, there’s a clear imbalance between what Arenacross is financially worth to a rider over what is achievable racing in America. So from Deans side, there has to be a bit of a love for it for him to take on the challenge – it can’t be all about money, and as a promoter, I hugely respect that about some riders.
GateDrop: At the minute, is it a one year thing or you probably can’t tell me if it’s a done deal, if you’ll come back next year. But would you be fairly confident we’ll be seeing him in Arenacross events next year again?
GateDrop: I would hope that it’s for more than one year, but we have to understand that Deans home is the US. The more events we do out of the UK that perhaps go into territories like the Middle East or Far East, I would like to think that many international riders will want to race and enjoy the experiences that we can give them. They’re going to have a good time. They’re going to earn well and enjoy themselves. That’s all we try to do and if that ticks the box for them, then they’re welcome. What I never want is for a rider to be here without truly wanting to be.
GateDrop: Just on the international guys and French guys, obviously they’re only doing a few rounds this year. But when I was there last night, I was like, damn, I wish they were here racing as well… Are you closed off to allowing them all of the series in the future? Or at the same time it is the British guys that sell tickets that sell the tickets in the UK… So, in the future, what do you think?
Bates: It’s a really good point, right? So what sells tickets is how we market it. Okay, so you probably saw a few times in the audience last night, we went to someone in the crowd who won a prize. And on each time, they’d never been before. I don’t know if you noticed that, so there’s a big percentage of people who come to Arenacross for the first time. So as much as British riders convince themselves that they attract a sell-out audience, whilst they definitely attract fans, it’s all about how we market a show as well as a championship event.
But in answer to your question, would we be open to international riders for all of the events? Yes, absolutely. For the future, we most definitely would be. The future means that we will be staging less UK rounds and more international rounds.
GateDrop: That brings me on to my next question actually, I think round seven is still to be confirmed. Can you be open and tell us where you think that will be? And then on round eight, Abu Dhabi. This is very different for your event. You know, your series has never been there before… Just talk me through the reasoning for that?
Bates: We own a really good product that we’ve been staging for a long time now (over 12 years). There are many countries that are hungry for entertainment and they’ve got some amazing venues that they need to put events into. So, the risk is less for us. We’re a rights holder, we’re an IP owner, just like WSX, just like MXGP. Therefore, promoters and host cities & countries want events like Arenacross to help attract tourism, entertain their local audiences and fill bed nights in hotels – we become a small part of their regional economic growth programmes.
It’s a big step for us, but it’s no different to coming here to Belfast, we all get on aeroplanes, and we put all of our equipment on boats and we get here. So, what’s the difference between being here or Thailand or the Middle East? There’s no difference. It’s being smart around working with the right promoters and the right countries in the right venues.
GateDrop: You mentioned that you think in the future you’re maybe going to do less events in the U.K. Which events in the U.K. do you see as definitely staying on the calendar that are vital for the series, or is it open for the future? Do you think Belfast is up there to stay?
Bates: It’s fairly open but look, Belfast is here to stay. There’s no doubt about it. We’ve actually been here since 2001. So, no, we’re staying in Belfast, whatever happens. As for the other events in the U.K., we don’t know yet. But we are actively out there looking for more international events, and once these are defined, then our UK events will be finalised.
Regardless, the UK is the home of Arenacross – it’s where we started and will always be.
GateDrop: When it comes to logistics of going to Abu Dhabi, I’m sure the planning is well on the way. Just what’s the planning like and how does it differ from going there in the U.K.? In terms of supporting the teams and the riders to go, can you just tell me a little bit about that? Because I’m sure they’re not going to pay their own money to go (laughs)… They want a bit of help, you know?
Bates: Yes, we will take care of a lot of the logistics. The way we do it with teams is we manage a lot of that for them. So, we’ll deal with freighting bikes, getting them there and all those kind of things. So effectively it’s not costing them, but at the same time prize money for both riders and teams is quite high.
It therefore becomes quite attractive for them to be part of it. So, yes, it’s not difficult, it’s just costly, simple as that.
GateDrop: How many riders is it you’re going to support to get there? Is it the top six in each class I heard?
Bates: No, at the minute it’s fairly open. That’s something that Abu Dhabi is still debating with us. But at the minute it will definitely be the top 20 pro riders. Then after then, we’re not quite sure.
GateDrop: I think you’ve been to Abu Dhabi before for World Supercross. It was maybe last year or the year before. So you know the venue you will be going to and stuff like that. So that probably helps… What did you make of the facilities and stuff they have out there?
Bates: It’s great. You know, it’s Yas Island – where the Formula One track is. It’s a great venue, it’s a new arena. But effectively, it’s no different than any other arena but in an incredible location.
GateDrop: I suppose that’s one good thing about going there… Yourself, the riders and stuff, they can sort of make a holiday out of it. Instead of just coming to the UK, they’re here one day and away they go again…It’ll be a nice experience…
Bates: Exactly that and that’s what we’re trying to achieve. That’s why we haven’t announced the other event yet, but we’re trying to go back-to-back with another event out in the region so that if we ship everything there, then at least we get two bites of the cherry, and the riders also get that as well. So, that’s something that we should announce in the next couple of weeks.
GateDrop: Just on your future envision and where do you see Arenacross going in the next, let’s say, five to ten years, have you got something in your head you’d like to achieve within that time?
Bates: What I would like is that the FIM and the main organisers of championships around the world work closer together. By that I mean I see Arenacross as two great things. It’s a great feeder series to Supercross because if you think about World Supercross and Supercross as sport, there’s actually nothing for these youngsters to progress their talent – Arenacross is that platform.
So, I would like to think that in the future that we’re working closely with those guys because if you look at it all, Arenacross, World Supercross, MXGP, it’s all really close in skill set. It’s very closely linked. To be a great motocross rider now, you’ve got to have those Supercross skills.
And those Supercross skills don’t come without Arenacross. My vision is, in five years’ time, we’re all working really closely together where we all benefit from a much broader talent platform, and the world of dirt-biking is elevated to a much broader market.
GateDrop: Just on World Supercross, I want to get your opinion on that. I think that is now three years for that series now, a change of ownership along the way… But what’s your thoughts on that as a series? I personally love the format and I think Supercross is needed to be global. I know America is the home and it always will be the home, but I think it’s important to get these stars all around the world…
Bates: Look, I think any event that’s entertaining, that includes Motocross, staged anywhere in the world, has to be a good thing. Motocross and Supercross are incredible sports. So, if you ask my opinion of what I think of WSX, I think it’s good, but it’s at a very embryonic stage where I believe its future could be far greater than most can comprehend.
But like everything and anything that is new, it takes time to evolve and develop and put the right people around it. That is what they will do over time. They’ve got some very, very smart people in the right places and I believe they will be very successful.
I don’t see any reason why World Supercross can’t be in a dominating position in the World of Motocross and entertainment for the future. It’s not just Motocross. We’ve got to look at it much broader than two wheels.
GateDrop: Just on your format, it’s obviously tried and tested. It works because it sells stadiums out. The head-to-heads are great. But whenever it comes to the main event, you hang around all day for the main event and then it’s over, bang, you want to see more of it… Obviously, like I said, your format does work. But for the future, would you maybe be open to have maybe one more main event on the night? Personally, I think the World Supercross format is fantastic, having the three main events… But then it might be hard to squeeze that in with the head-to-heads and stuff…
Bates: Well, I think what you’ve got to do is ask yourself a question. The format of having multiple main events for a Motocross fan is a good one, but we need more than Motocross fans, right? They need to see so much more and be entertained. And that’s why, to go back to our earlier point, we’ve been successful in filling up arenas – it’s because of our programme.
Look, I’m a Motocross fan through and through. I’d rather watch old-school outdoor Motocross and two strokes – that’s just the fan in me. I’d rather see as many Motocross races as I can, but you just can’t do it indoors. But the aim of any promoter or any owner of events should be, that when the race finishes, the fan does what you’ve just said to me, – which is want more.
When you want more, you’ll come back. Look, that’s not to say that I wouldn’t consider the idea of more main events in one night, (I have thought about it). But what’s difficult is, what would then be the final? Do you know what I mean? It’s like going to a Champions League final in football and there’s two matches. Surely there can only be one Final? I stand to be corrected though as, in reality, I think the fans will tell us.
GateDrop: One thing I was expecting at the first round, because I was texting you at the end of last year, at the first round I was expecting two main events, one for the international and one for the British… But then the British guys would have done the international one too but then that didn’t materialise… But I’m assuming that was something you thought about and then thought, we’ll just stick with what we know?
Bates: Yes and we were thinking of doing it. But it’s very tough. We’re also trying to be a series that has got the Youth races, has got the entertainment, has got the Freestyle, but there’s only a certain amount of minutes you’ve got in a show. That’s not to say it wouldn’t change in the future though. When we go international like to the Abu Dhabi or the other territories that we’re looking at, they won’t have all those kids’ classes, so then our programme will change. We’ll be forced to run the WSX, Triple Crown style schedule.
GateDrop: The last question from me, obviously you do a good job streaming and it’s all going good… However, 20 quid a round, if people are buying all the rounds, it makes it dearer than AMA and MXGP… You might not like this question, but a lot of people have commented on our posts, it shouldn’t be that dear when you can get other packages cheaper. Do you think for the future you might try and make it a little bit cheaper? I know you have a job to do, and obviously you need to make profit and things like that…
Bates: It’s a balance and I understand those comments, but I pride myself on doing things the right way. So, if you’re going to do a live stream, don’t do a live stream that I’ve seen British events try to sell in the UK.
I get the point, but what I’ve got to be careful of is that a group of people that would normally come to Arenacross all of a sudden buy the £20 live stream, and then they all sit in one room and watch it. I’m effectively giving away something that’s cost me so much money to deliver – and our model means that we still heavily rely upon a live fan in the Arena.
Every night I come to Arenacross, I risk half a million pounds to stage it. I can’t give it away on a live stream, and as much as people might think it’s expensive, they would be right. But I believe we deliver a quality product, and that product isn’t free to produce.
The British economy isn’t in a great place. To do anything is expensive. For me to live stream an event tonight, I’m going to spend £50,000, and I’m just not going to give it away.
GateDrop: Well, that’s understandable. Thank you for your time, Matt. Much appreciated. Good luck with the series, and we’ll see you soon.
