Drone Champions League to offer live betting at season finale [November 27-28, 2021]

World Championship of professional drone racing teams marks league first with partners GRID and Pinnacle

RUGGELL, Liechtenstein and VIENNA, Nov. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- DCL has always been about innovation, progress, exploration of boundaries, fun and ambition – in a nutshell, about revolutionizing the sport and taking it to the next level. 

In keeping with this spirit, DCL proudly announces a new chapter starting at the league's season grand finale, a double-header weekend at the Great Wall of China. Together with its partners GRID and Pinnacle, DCL is offering live betting at these upcoming races for the first time in the league's history. DCL and GRID have been working together to develop the betting product since the end of 2020, and at last, with Pinnacle now having agreed to take it on, fans will have the opportunity to bet on each heat of the race weekend.

"Offering live betting at the races is a true achievement in DCL's history. I am very proud of the joint efforts of DCL and GRID, which pave the way for innovation and data-driven engagement, and am happy to welcome Pinnacle as the first betting partner to recognize this enormous potential," said Dr. Michael Kostka, CEO of DCL.  "These days the world of live betting is not only growing, but it's also evolving. It is so easy for everybody to make bets on the fly in the truest sense of the word, live, while everybody is watching those spectacular drone races and it fully engages and energizes the community," added Dr. Alexander Knourek, Co-CEO of DCL.

Moritz Maurer, CEO of GRID, said, "Adding betting as a fan engagement activity is a milestone for DCL and another validation of drone racing as an emerging sport. We are proud to provide the data infrastructure through the Grid platform, which enables data-driven innovation."

Marco Blume, Trading Director, Pinnacle, said, "DCL's fast, fanatic nature makes for first class entertainment and adding live betting to the mix can only add to its appeal. Offering in-play pricing on drone racing may be intimidating to some, but our trading team has the expertise and data to deliver our customers with a quality betting product featuring the low margins and bet delays that its booming fan base desires."

About the Drone Champions League

The Drone Champions League (DCL) is the recognised world championship for professional drone racing teams: an innovative race series that blurs the lines between virtual and reality to serve up a new era of sports entertainment. Since 2016 DCL has drawn the world's best drone pilots, who qualify for each race in DCL – The Game and then go on to compete in seven international teams at some of the world's most spectacular real-life and virtual settings, from buzzing global capitals to surreal natural wonders and landscapes of the imagination. Each DCL race is broadcast live, worldwide on TV and online.

About GRID

GRID is a technology-as-a-service platform designed to unlock the potential of esports data with the goal to improve fan experiences and contribute to the sustainability and growth of the esports ecosystem as a whole. GRID provides data services for a predominant share of competitive esports, covering DotA 2, CS:GO, PUBG, and many more. Working hand-in-hand with rights holders to maximize the value of their official data assets, GRID protects partner competitions from malicious actors while ensuring competitive integrity. For additional information, visit grid.gg.

About Pinnacle

Pinnacle is the original pioneer of esports betting, having blazed a trail for over a decade. Being one of the first bookmakers to take an esports bet back in 2010, Pinnacle has unrivalled experience in the esports space. Pinnacle has esports in its DNA and is built on a genuine and far-reaching connection with the community. In addition to offering the best esports betting value online, Pinnacle is committed to helping fans navigate the world of esports betting and enhancing the esports experience on a truly global scale.

Contact/inquiries: 
Drone Champions League
office@dronechampions.org 
www.dcl.aero