ESPN to Broadcast Drone Racing as Nascent Sport Gains Backers
- Sky, ProSiebenSat.1 invest in league as well as programming
- Networks schedule 10 episodes of mini-helicopter races
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Drone Racing League, where contestants race small helicopters through empty malls, stadiums and subway tunnels, will debut Thursday on Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN 2 network as part of an international TV rollout of the fledgling sport.
The 10 episodes, which were pre-recorded and last an hour each, feature six contestants and give viewers a video feed from the cockpit. Sky Plc, Rupert Murdoch’s satellite-TV business, will air the races in the U.K., while ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE will show them in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.