Eurosport announced its partnership with DR1 Racing, the leading int'l drone racing series, to exclusively distribute content for broadcast in 70 countries across Europe and the Asia-Pacific. The first episode of the DR1 Invitational from L.A. will air on Eurosport 1 on Nov. 8. Drone racing, which sees competitors navigate remote control aircraft through complex obstacle courses, will support Eurosport's strategy of showcasing contemporary content. Eurosport will televise three additional racing series next year, including the DR1 Champions Series set for debut across global cities in '17, and the DR1 Micro Series. Additionally, Eurosport will represent DR1's sub-licensing interest globally (excluding the U.S.) (Eurosport). REUTERS' Jessica Toonkel reported for Eurosport and other networks, drone racing "represents an opportunity to combine the live-event attraction of NASCAR and Formula 1 with the digital-age appeal of what has become known as eSports, in which video game players compete while millions of viewers watch online, usually for free." Eurosport CEO Peter Hutton said, "We think the space has gotten interesting ... and we like the idea of having storylines around individuals that we can build up as heroes. We see this as a journey toward a younger demographic" (REUTERS, 10/17).
