The Drone Racing League and blockchain innovator Algorand recently announced a long-term partnership to disrupt sports and gaming via blockchain technology.
With ticketing, collectibles, fan transactions and NFTs, the Drone Racing League will push the boundaries of sports and advanced technology to new heights and further adoption by bringing next-generation fan experiences to life on the Algorand blockchain.
The DRL season premiers on NBCSN and Twitter on September 29, 2021 at 8 p.m.
As early adopters who are open to new forms of entertainment, and who are more likely than the general population to follow and engage with crypto social media, combining blockchain and drone racing seems a sure bet.
Algorand: fast and decentralized
Algorand’s blockchain will enable scalable, fast, and decentralized gaming applications in DRL.
A blockchain-based payment system was the next big game changer for the Drone Racing League’s global fans. Algorand values speed, innovation, and inclusion, so the pairing seems a natural fit. “We are ecstatic about how this collaboration will change the game for sports and technology fans, as well as the blockchain community around the world,” said DRL President Rachel Jacobson.
The Drone Racing League and Algorand are technologically advanced, disruptive, and visionary blockchain and sports organizations, respectively.
With Algorand’s blockchain network, DRL will create a Digital Drone Racing series, and the companies will demonstrate the scope of Algorand’s blockchain network through DRL’s broadcast, social, and gaming channels.
Powerful partnerships
The announcement came as the league prepares to launch its World Championship Season on NBCSN and Twitter on September 29th at 8pm EST.
A new media partnership with NBC Sports and Twitter will help launch the 2021-22 DRL Season. This will include nearly 30 hours of drone racing in primetime, including on Christmas Day. Cross-promotions with drone manufacturers eager to sell “racing drones” to holiday shoppers seems a foregone conclusion.
The races
In season, the world’s top 12 drone pilots race high-speed drones through breathtaking courses. Racers must win fourteen levels of racing through iconic sports arenas and virtual maps to be crowned World Champions.
Courses included Daytona International Speedway, and Allianz Field, home of Major League Soccer’s Minnesota United; and a championship race location to be announced.
Virtual courses can be raced on PlayStation, Xbox, Steam, and Epic Games.
While Algorand will be providing the blockchain backbone for drone racing, they have their eyes set squarely on disrupting traditional finance.
Algorand and the future of finance
Algorand’s technology will power the Future of Finance (FutureFi), an inclusive, frictionless, and secure system. Established by Turing Award-winning cryptographer Silvio Micali, Algorand built a blockchain infrastructure capable of handling the volume of transactions required by defi and governments to transition to FutureFi.
Seven hundred plus global organizations use Algorand to create next generation financial products, protocols, and value exchange.
Who is the DRL?
The Drone Racing League features the world’s best drone pilots, and millions of fans tune in on NBCSN, Facebook, and Twitter to watch the action. DRL is bringing a new era of sports to life by combining cutting-edge technology with immersive, high-speed races via virtual and live events.
Final thoughts
Many people new to cryptocurrency initiatives and blockchain in general are focused on the altcoins as they climb or drop in value. Yet, the key to understanding this space is in realizing the convergence of change that is going on all around us. Blockchain technology will transform virtually all aspects of our lives and the way we experience the things we interact with on a daily basis-sports being just one. Stay tuned.
Jay Speakman is a technology writer based in San Francisco, California. He writes on the topics of blockchain, cryptocurrency, DeFi and other disruptive technologies. Clients include Avalanche, Be[in]Crypto, Trust Machines and several blogs devoted to blockchain gaming. He will not rest until fiat currency is defeated.
