Drone Racing Goes Mainstream With ESPN TV And Streaming Deal By Scalper1 | April 13, 2016 0 Comment Scalper1 News alt : http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/InternetTechnologyRss/~5/0i3xGHWWf30/Tech_041316_Drones_sd.mp4http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/InternetTechnologyRss/~5/0i3xGHWWf30/Tech_041316_Drones_sd.mp4 Loading the player… Drone racing is now going mainstream, with ESPN agreeing to a multiyear distribution deal with the International Drone Racing Association on Wednesday. The first event that the “worldwide leader in sports” will showcase is the U.S. National Drone Racing Championship this August in New York. Some say the sport is poised to become the next Nascar or Formula 1, with the same high-speed rush and potential for corporate sponsorships. The only difference is the driver, or pilot, is controlling the exhilarating experience through goggles displaying live video from the point-of-view of the drone. The IDRA says drone racing is seeing an “unprecedented rise in popularity,” and ESPN says the fans are “a growing and passionate audience.” IBD attended a drone racing event earlier this year to find out firsthand what the quadcopter sport is all about. “It’s like video games on steroids,” said a pilot at the event, who goes by the nickname “Bapu.” The deal includes live streaming on ESPN3 and follow-up one-hour specials of the events on an ESPN network. The pact comes as the Walt Disney ( DIS )-owned sports network is looking for new audiences as it loses subscribers at a concerning pace, alongside the rise of video-streaming services. ESPN has also experimented with broadcasting video-game championship events to get more viewers. Though ESPN seems to be struggling, live sports content has not yet been tackled by Netflix ( NFLX ) or Amazon ( AMZN ) Video — or by Hulu, which is co-owned by Disney, 21st Century Fox ( FOXA ) and Comcast ( CMCSA ). Disney shares rose 2.2% on the stock market today . Netflix climbed 2.5%, Amazon.com 1.9%, Fox 1.7% and Comcast 0.4%. Scalper1 News Scalper1 News Related posts: These 5 Leading Tech Stocks Have Major Hurdles To Clear This FANG Stock Just Tripped A Very Bearish Signal Netflix Gets Bullish Call, But Stock Stages Downside Reversal Why Facebook, Google, Amazon Are Best Positioned For Mobile