Drone Racing League to broadcast sim racing competition on NBC and Twitter

The American television channel NBC Sports Network, in collaboration with the Drone Racing League, will broadcast a virtual drone sim racing competition for eight weekends. The eight competition rounds can also be followed on Twitter.

The organization states that the 2020 FanDuel DRL SIM Racing Cup will be the first virtual drone racing competition. The first broadcast starts on May 16, followed by the last day of the competition on July 5. Twelve ‘elite pilots’ from the Drone Racing League will participate, using The Drone Racing League Simulator.

According to the Drone Racing League, fans can watch as if they were sitting in the cockpit of the digital drones. Existing maps are used, but also new playing fields. The prize money will go entirely to Direct Relief, a charity that collects money to provide protective equipment and medical supplies to health centers in the context of the corona crisis.

The Drone Racing League is a United States-based organization founded in 2015 that spearheads a global professional drone competition for pilots using a first person view. This usually revolves around homemade racing drones that have to complete a challenging, physical 3D course as quickly as possible. Speeds of over 140 km/h are achieved. These physical matches have already been broadcast by channels such as NBC Sports and Sky Sports.