The world’s very first Drone Prix took place in Dubai this year, where the winner and his team picked up a whole wad of dough for their efforts. Having said that, it looks like drone racing is set to become bigger and bigger, and this would translate to a larger pool of prize money, more “superstars” in the making and of course, a higher level of corporate involvement in terms of sponsorship and the like. Coverage too, would also expand, and here we are with word that ESPN would begin to cover drone racing from this August onward.
The US National Championships will have the honor of being the first televised event by the folks over at ESPN, and it does look as though this is an opportune moment for ESPN to take advantage of the level of growing interest in eSports.
The International Drone Racing Association (IDRA) have announced a “multi-year” deal with ESPN where coverage of its competitive UAV events are concerned, and the US National Drone Racing Championships will be happening on Governor’s Island in New York City this August. Live coverage will stream on the WatchESPN app, and one would require a cable subscription in order to check the happenings on a mobile device or streaming gadget.