Twitch meets Formula One.
By Raif Karerat
WASHINGTON, DC: Billionaire property developer and Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is betting that drone racing could be the sport of the future, and has invested $1 million in the first round of funding for a New York startup called the Drone Racing League that is planning its first public race later this year.
“We backed it because it has all the makings of a modern-day sport, Twitch meets Formula One,” Matt Higgins — president and CEO of RSE Ventures, Ross’ sports and entertainment investment firm — told ESPN. “The pilots have to have great reflexes and hone their skills over hours and hours of practice. And first-person viewing lends itself to an amazing spectator experience with virtual reality.”
The Drone Racing League is targeting a growing audience: videogame players and other technology-oriented types, reported the Wall Street Journal. The venture hopes to re-create the success of live videogame competitions, which have been able to pack arenas like Madison Square Garden and provide massive winners’ pots in terms of cash sums.
Nick Horbaczewski, the CEO of the league, said the sport will first be presented on television and then evolve to having spectators in the stands. Horbaczewski said they are hoping the sport will take on a NASCAR-type competitiveness.
“I felt [drone racing] could be a sport that resonated with people because it touches on the heritage of racing, but also brings in the benefits of new technology,” Horbaczewski told WSJ.
The league had a test run in Yonkers, New York, in July, as drone pilots navigated in and out of a dilapidated old building.
“To start, we will have competitors using the same drones, but eventually we see teams building drones and having their own pit crews,” Horbaczewski explained to ESPN.
RSE Ventures already owns FanVision, which allows NASCAR fans to get a view of the inside of cars during a race. That technology could prove important to the Drone Racing League, possibly giving pilots the tools to fly effectively using the first-person cockpit view.
“It’s hard to predict exactly where it goes, but it’s going somewhere,” said Higgins.
The Drone Racing League isn’t alone in its endeavors to bring drone-based sports into the mainstream. Earlier this year, a two-day event called the U.S. National Drone Racing Championships took place at the California State Fair, attracting 120 pilots and offering $25,000 in cash prizes, reported The Verge. Similar races have also been held in France, Australia, and the U.K. on a smaller scale.