Deal signed amid the COVID-19 outbreak

US sportsbook and DFS provider FanDuel has signed a partnership deal with the Drone Racing League (DRL). This comes at a time when most major sporting events and leagues around the world have been shut down due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.?

only FanDuel credits will be offered as prizes for the time being

The deal will offer customers a free-to-play fantasy game for DRL events. Bettors will not be able to place wagers on the drone races until there is regulatory approval in place. Therefore, only FanDuel credits will be offered as prizes for the time being.?

Sports betting operators like FanDuel have recently been looking at different ways to offer sports markets to customers. These include bets on the weather, virtual sports, and esports.

DRL on an upward curve

The agreement comes not long after the beginning of the DRL SIM Tryouts Championships, with the league recently seen experimenting with different formats. 

DRL founder and CEO Nicholas Horbaczewski said of the deal: “We have always been excited about the potential of fantasy sports and sports betting.” He believes the sport is well-suited to FanDuel’s offerings as the races are short, repetitive, and generate plenty of statistics. 

first DRL offering will have $3,000 worth of FanDuel credits

To launch the partnership, the first DRL offering will have $3,000 worth of FanDuel credits as prizes. If viewership increases, prize money will likely rise higher and higher.

Innovating on sporting options

Horbaczewski said people are currently searching for any form of sporting content as they continue to self-isolate due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The DRL is benefiting from the fact that there are very few options available on the market. With the new deal, the league can leverage some of the 8.5 million FanDuel users. 

FanDuel president Kip Levin spoke about the company’s plans for the announced partnership. He said:

Partnering up with the Drone Racing League allows us to collaborate with an innovative league as we give our fantasy customers more ways to play.”

What exactly is drone racing?

Drone racing sees custom-built racing drones battling it out against one another of speeds greater than 90mph. There are 3D courses and pilots race through a first-person point of view.

Many major sports networks now broadcast races. These include NBC Sports, Sky Sports, and ProSieben.