ESPN Announces Drone Racing Distribution Deal

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Step back, Superman: the next popular racing sport is flying above you. And it doesn’t require a superhero.

Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN today announced it has signed a multiyear, international media distribution deal with the International Drone Racing Association (IDRA), bringing the new sport of drone racing to the network. IDRA is a global drone racing and extreme rotor sports company based in Los Angeles and Berkeley.

The first event showcased by ESPN will be the 2016 U.S. National Drone Racing Championships in August, which will take place in New York.

Contestants fly small, multipropeller aircraft at high speeds around a race course to determine the winner. Pilots wear goggles with live video from the camera mounted on the front of the aircraft, which gives the sensation of actually being in the air.

“Drone racing gives anyone the ability to fly like a superhero,” said Dr. Scot Refsland, chairman of the IDRA. “Because everyone can experience the thrill of racing as if they were sitting in the drone cockpit, the sport is skyrocketing.”

Both the national championships in August and the 2016 World Drone Racing Championships in October will be streamed live on the ESPN3 digital network and then televised on ESPN as a one-hour special.

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