Crossing, diving, dodging, turning sharply… Chasing through three-dimensional space at a speed of more than 140 kilometers per hour, performing speed and passion, have you ever thought that this is neither a video game in the virtual world, nor Not a sci-fi scene from an American blockbuster. Yes, this is a whole new sport – drone racing. Since its birth around 2014, drone racing has been loved by all young people for its unique visual perception brought by the combination of technology and sports, and its audience has grown rapidly.
Recently, the international professional drone racing tour organization – DRL Drone Racing Alliance held a press conference in Shanghai, announcing that DRL will hold a DRL safety event at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai on September 19, 2020. United World Championships. As one of the most rapidly developing and most influential drone racing events in the world, DRL’s first large-scale event in China will not only accelerate its business expansion in China, but also become an opportunity to promote the rapid development of drone racing in China .
The perfect combination of e-sports and traditional sports, drone racing is on the rise
UAV is a general term for unmanned aerial vehicles. Due to its small size, low cost, and convenient use, in recent years, with the rapid development and maturity of UAV technology, it has gradually been widely used in aerial photography, agriculture, plant protection, and express transportation. , disaster relief, surveying and mapping, news reports, etc. Similar to bicycles, while being used as production and living tools, drones have also begun to enter people’s lives as a recreational tool and a competition project.
The charm of drone racing is that, on the one hand, it is similar to traditional sports such as F1. The thrill and stimulation of high-speed sports can stimulate the secretion of adrenaline. On the other hand, drones themselves are the product of technological development. It can attract the attention of a large number of geek players. According to DRL founder and CEO Nicholas Horbaczewski, drone racing is somewhere between eSports and traditional sports, because drone racing is a good combination of the two. Therefore, whether it is spectators of traditional sports such as F1 or fans of e-sports, they are potential audiences for drone racing.
It is for this reason that although the development of drone racing has only been in this year, it has accumulated a lot of users around the world, and drone racing-related events are also developing rapidly. DGP, DCL and other drone competition organizations have held drone competitions. In China, JD.com has also announced that it will hold a drone competition with a bonus of up to 100 million yuan.
With tens of millions of dollars in financing, DRL pushes “sports from the future” to the world
DRL Drone Racing League (Drone Racing League) is an international professional drone racing tour organization composed of elite players. Perspective) control drones and hold intense high-speed races at world-renowned landmarks. The 2019 season saw players compete in venues where top sports leagues such as the NFL, MLS, and MLB compete, such as Hard Rock Stadium, Allianz Stadium, and Chase Stadium. To date, the DRL Allianz World Championship has attracted 90 million TV viewers in 90 countries and regions around the world, and thousands of fans have traveled to the United States, Europe and the Middle East to watch the game live.
racing drone
As an outstanding representative on the promising track of drone racing, DRL has won the favor of many capital parties. According to statistics, since its establishment in 2015, DRL has received tens of millions of dollars in financing. The investment consortium includes SKY (British Sky) TV stations), American media giants Liberty Media, Lux Capital and other well-known companies and investment institutions that acquired F1.
The DRL World Championship has also been sponsored by the world-renowned insurance company Allianz. In an interview, Serge Raffard, director of strategy and sales and marketing at Allianz Group, expressed the recognition of the drone market and DRL. “In the past six months, the DRL Allianz World Championships have attracted widespread attention, demonstrating the growing market demand for drone racing in China.” He said that Allianz will cooperate with the world’s leading drone technology companies, depending on the Gain a unique way for Allianz to build brand linkages with consumers and business customers.
In September next year, the Shanghai Mercedes-Benz Cultural Center will surround a dedicated three-dimensional track for drone racing, and 12 of the world’s most elite FPV (first-person view) pilots will use customized DRL Racer4 drones , races along the track at a speed of 145 kilometers per hour. Platforms such as Youku and NBC will broadcast the competition globally, and thousands of fans can also experience the immersive experience brought by the high-speed professional drone racing competition.
DRL’s visit to China this time is undoubtedly to speed up the layout of the Chinese market. According to statistics, 70% of the world’s consumer drones are made in China, and 17% of Chinese people under the age of 30 are interested in drone racing. “No country can match the Chinese market.” In an interview with the author, DRL founder and CEO Nicholas Horbaczewski bluntly said.
Prior to this, the DRL Invitational Tournament featuring the top ten Chinese FPV pilots had been broadcast on Weibo, with 6.7 million fans watching the game. From 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 11, 2020, DRL fans can watch Moda compete with the world’s top pilots in the DRL Allianz World Championship 2019 season online via Weibo and Youku.
Join hands with local partners to cultivate the market, Chinese pilots will debut in Mercedes
He believes that the main goal of DRL at this stage is to further improve the Chinese audience’s understanding of drone racing, and to strengthen the interaction with existing Chinese fans. Previously, through cooperation with partners in China, DRL has established a good foundation for understanding and communication with Chinese fans.
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