For a while there things had all gone very quiet at the Drone Racing League (DRL). After a couple of revolutionary races in New York and Miami, we were starting to get wonder what was going on. There were rumors of races taking place, but nothing substantial coming out. Now we know why. Things are beginning to make sense with today’s announcement that DRL has signed a broadcasting deal with UK network Sky.
The $1 million deal will see 10 hour-long shows broadcast by Sky, the UK’s largest cable network. Previously some of these episodes were available to watch online, but they have since been removed. We guess this is part of the new broadcasting deal. In case you didn’t see them at the time, DRL has been putting a lot of effort into making drone racing a genuine spectator sport. With incredible tracks and proprietary technology, this is FPV racing like you’ve never seen before.
Crucially, the DRL produces episodes made up of edited live events, complete with FPV footage from the drones and interviews with pilots as race days progress. This makes for a pretty seamless and spectacle that fans can enjoy from afar.
Drone Racing League will also hold a race in London – maybe the season’s finale – in a so-far unknown location, although the capital’s iconic Wembley Stadium would be a good bet, along with several other major soccer grounds dotted throughout the city.
Read more: Drone Racing Lands in London
So now professional drone racing is heading to the UK. Sky is planning to bring FPV flying to its new Sky Sports Mix channel. Sky group business development director Emma Lloyd said. “The investments we make are all about driving innovation, and ultimately improving the Sky experience for customers.”
“We’re really looking forward to working with the team at DRL to grow the sport and to bring something completely different to audiences across both TV and digital.”
DRL chief executive and founder Nicholas Horbaczewski is understandably excited. “This is an incredibly exciting day for DRL. Our team has worked tirelessly to develop the technology, racecourses, and sporting rules needed to deliver the most elite, competitive, and thrilling drone racing league on the planet. We can’t wait to share it with fans around the world.”
Sky will be showing an ‘Introduction to Drone Racing’ on Sky Sports Mix from 4am on Friday September 16th, with the actual series starting in October.
Malek Murison is a freelance writer and editor with a passion for tech trends and innovation. He handles product reviews, major releases and keeps an eye on the enthusiast market for DroneLife.
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Drone racing is one cool sport
I beleieve one day drone racing will be part of the Olympics, and yes its a latest racing trend going on in Drones industry