Prop Heads Start your Engines or is that .. Quad Motors - Drone Racing League

Bob Lawrence (VE1RLL)

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2016-01-26/new-drone-racing-league-wants-to-be-the-next-nascar

Competitive video gaming is a professional sport that generates more than $700 million a year, so why not drone racing?

That’s the bet Nick Horbaczewski is making by starting the Drone Racing League, with the backing of investors who include Stephen Ross, owner of the National Football League team Miami Dolphins, and Lerer Hippeau Ventures, a New York venture capital firm. Horbaczewski expects most fans to watch races online, much as they do competitive gaming in the U.S., using their phones, computers—eventually even virtual-reality headsets. Ultimately, he has ambitions of becoming a digital Nascar for drones.

The nascent league hosted the first race of its inaugural season at Sun Life Stadium in Miami in December, shooting video of drones zooming around the giant complex from various perspectives, which will be turned into professional quality content to be shown online next month. Their aim is to evoke classic Star Wars battle scenes and grab the attention of the mainstream public.

“We’re creating a whole new form of entertainment that straddles the digital and the real,” Horbaczewski said.

Heater.

Yawn.

erco

"Drone racers will be the new sports heroes".

Not so sure about that. Many hobbyists are not necessarily as media-friendly as professional sports heroes, who of necessity have a fairly healthy lifestyle, killer abs, and a sports drink contract.

Some people "have a great face for radio".

I have neither a great face nor voice for radio nor tv and that's fine by me and my 3 Youtube subscribers.

Properly executed, Drone racing might be as big as Battlebots, but in the end people want to see crashing and destruction close up, like NASCAR. Kind of hard to see small drones on a big course though. Much better on TV.

erco

duplicate post, plea e delete

RDL2004

erco wrote: »

(
Properly executed, Drone racing might be as big as Battlebots, but in the end people want to see crashing and destruction close up, like NASCAR. Kind of hard to see small drones on a big course though. Much better on TV.
)

I agree, somehow I just don't see plain old racing being enough of an attraction. Now, throw in a little dog fighting and flames and...
the inability of live spectators to get a good view would still be a problem.

erco

But throw in some cute girls in swimsuits and we'll tune in for sure. Car magazines still have hotties on the cover, and NFL cheerleaders are still going strong. This trend may continue for a bit longer.

jones

Even P-51s and Bearcats going over 400 mph around a pylon course barely register with the public unless someone crashes. If screaming Merlins can't attract attention, will some buzzing drone somehow manage? It might be fun to participate in a race, but to watch?