Swiss Drone League – A pioneering and innovative project

The Swiss Drone League (SDL) offers a trend and future sport that perfectly covers current topics such as digitization, innovation, eSports, drone technology and VR and optimally meets the sponsors’ need for unique content and product/brand placement right at the heart of the sport. The SDL brought the “Formula E of the air” as a combination of eSports and physical racing to the big stage and to all regions of Switzerland in record time. Spectacular races with the best pilots in Europe thrill audiences at breathtaking venues across the country.

It took a lot of creativity, new ideas and new offers for sponsors to make a still unknown sport known. “Classic perimeter advertising is OUT – having your own “products/logos” on the race track is IN”. The partnership with the Drone Champions League (DCL) also made it possible to create a virtual SDL track in the world’s most popular drone simulator game, where the SDL sponsor gates were appropriately integrated, thus resulting in an additional marketing channel.

«As the first official national league for drone races in Europe and as a promoter of a new and previously unknown sport, the Swiss Drone League has been doing a lot of innovative and pioneering work together with its partners since 2018. Only becausethanks to long-standing sponsors, led by HÖRMANN, TCS Training & Events, TOSHIBA TEC as well as HELVETIA, INTEGRA and MAXON, the continued existence of SDL is secured. It’s great to be able to continue to make this sport of the future accessible to the general public and to achieve in record time what classic sports have been dreaming of for decades.» (Joris Zahnd, Founder SDL)</ em>

Unique ranges for a new sport

Since 2018, SDL has already reached over 175,000 viewers on site, 130,000 stream views and over 290,000 TV viewers by the end of 2022. Thanks to the wide-ranging media partnerships with BLICK and BLUE ZOOM (formerly TELECLUB ZOOM), where a 25-minute TV magazine with an annual review is broadcast every year, most people in Switzerland have at least once come into contact with the SDL.

SWISS CHAMPIONSHIP in drone flying on November 12, 2023 in Winterthur

Since 2018, the aim of the Swiss Drone League (SDL) has been a season with 4-6 physical season races throughout Switzerland and an annual ranking. Due to Corona and other changes in the market, the concept had to be adjusted several times. For 2023, it was decided – together with the Swiss Model Flight Association and the “Swiss FPV Community” – that an attempt would be made to involve the community more in the organization and to raise the hurdles for the “newcomers” to participate in physical races to downsize. Based on 3-4 qualification races, the best 16 pilots are defined for participation in the Swiss championship, which then determine the Swiss champion and the final nomination of the pilots for participation in the World Cup. The OFFICIAL SWISS CHAMPIONSHIP, organized by the SDL, will take place on November 12, 2023 in the AXA ARENA in Winterthur. This event is open to the public and free of charge. The races can be followed LIVE on site between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. In addition, an attractive supporting program around drones will be offered. For all interested parties who cannot be there themselves, the final runs will be broadcast via live stream on the SDL social media channels at around 3.45 p.m. Before the end of the year, an exciting review of the event will also be available in a 25-minute TV magazine on BLUE ZOOM.

Show Race at CONNECTED 2023

On August 19th, 2023, the SDL will realize the ultimate drone arena at the CONNECTED 2023 (public event of the Swiss army with exciting insights into the areas of cyber and digitization) in Kloten! Among other things, FPV show races, flying in the skill course, team flight with the control pad, FPV race with video glasses, DCL drone simulator with SDL race track and also a hybrid online race with the remote PC are offered .

The concept: WIN-WIN-WIN – achieve more together:

I SPORT and THE DRONE COMMUNITY enables the SDL to be known throughout Switzerland and, as the official Swiss league, it has been responsible for naming the official Swiss champion since 2020 and for the final nomination of the pilots for the World Cup participation responsible. With unique ranges and the cooperation with the Swiss model flight club, the Aero Club, the TCS, the FOCA and OFCOM, a lot of educational work on the subject of drones could be done on all sidesen be done.

II. PILOTS the SDL offers a platform to present itself to a broad public and to find personal sponsoring support. In addition, the SDL enables pilots to fly in unique locations and in front of an audience. Furthermore, the drone community and the pilots of the various parts of the country could be brought even closer to each other across all age limits. Most of them have found personal sponsors today and, thanks to the comparison with the competition from all over Switzerland, are now among the best in the world.

III. PROMOTION OF YOUNG TALENT is achieved, among other things, through simple entry options such as flight events for beginners via “TCS Free Flying”, the DCL Simulator Game and, since 2023, with the qualifying races for the Swiss SDL Championship. “Race beginners” can make their first flights in a safe environment and even gain their first flight experience with the SDL track in the world’s most popular drone simulator game, without having to purchase expensive equipment.

IV. SPONSORS a creative Race Track integration with good visibility is guaranteed. For example, the garage box with gate drive from Hörmann (which is used as a START) or the logo triangle (inflatable) from Helvetia (which has to be flown through) ultimately go viral. Continuously attractive content via best-of videos, live streams, TV magazine, and much more is offered and is also ideal for social media. In addition, the sponsors can be offered a cheap and attractive platform throughout Switzerland with customer/employee event options (see point VI.), where you can get to know something new and also actively participate yourself. Due to a lot of flexibility, most sponsors could also be won for the SDL in the long term.

V. FAIRS/LOCATIONS SDL offers an additional attraction for young and old with additional frequencies, fewer vacancies and a unique marketing reach, which SDL as a partner makes available free of charge. There is already more demand from locations than the possible number of races per year.

VI. SPECTATORS + VISITORS SDL, together with White Carpet GmbH, also offers FPV show races (incl. co-pilot with glasses or on the screen) at most races – or as separately bookable attractions for company events ); Flying for everyone in the fun course (as an individual participant or as a team event); drone simulator flights in the SDL race track; hybrid online races with the remote PC or drone construction workshops. Ultimate action is guaranteed – drop by or request a quote for your own event.

Review of a success story:

2018:

• Founded by Joris Zahnd (White Carpet GmbH) and MYI Entertainment GmbH (50% each).
• Race management by FPV RACER SCHWEIZ.
• 3 season races (Lausanne, Bern, St. Gallen) with around 40 drivers each.
• LIVE broadcast of the races in the stream and on the BLICK.CH homepage

2019:

• Takeover of the race management by the SDL.
• Realization of a year-round exhibition including a fun track in the Swiss Museum of Transport.
• 6 season races (Lucerne (2 races), Basel, Biel, Winterthur, Bern) with around 40 drivers each.
• LIVE streaming of the races and the finals LIVE on TV on TELECLUB ZOOM.

2020:

• The SDL becomes the official Swiss league/Swiss championship and thus the first official national league for drone racing in Europe. Since 2020 responsible for the selection of the official Swiss champion and for the final nomination of the pilots for participation in the World Cup.
• Execution of the «highest drone race in the world 2020» as part of the Swiss Digital Day (approx. 2,500 m above sea level, St. Moritz).
• Nomination for the XAVER Award as “Best Public Event 2020”.
• Takeover of all shares by White Carpet GmbH (new 100%) at the end of the year.
• 6 planned (or (because of Corona) 3 carried out) season races (St. Gallen (cancelled), Lugano (cancelled), Lucerne, Solothurn, Bern, Zurich (cancelled)) with a maximum of 40 starting places.</li >
• LIVE streaming of the races and, at the end of the year, a 25-minute TV magazine with a review of the year on BLUE ZOOM.

2021:

• No regular season races due to the Corona situation.
• Cooperation with the Drone Champions League (DCL) started.

2022:

• Realization of the SDL track in the DCL drone simulator game (incl. sponsor gates).
• Realization of the first “TCS Free Flying” event in Stockental.
• Realization of the “Swiss Drone Days” with races and an accompanying trade fair together with the University of Zurich.
• Nomination for the “SPONSORING EXCELLENCE AWARD 2023” and the special prize “PIONEERSHIP”.
• 4 season races (Dübendorf, Flums, Winterthur, Lignières) with the 16 best drivers in Switzerland.
• LIVE streaming of the races and, at the end of the year, a 25-minute TV magazine with a review of the year on BLUE ZOOM.

2023:

• Realization of “DRONE ARENA” as part of CONNECTED 2023 (the Swiss Army’s largest public event with 40,000 visitors that day!) with FPV show race, flying in the skill course, team flight with the control pad, FPV race with video glasses, DCL drone simulator with SDL track and also a hybrid online race with the remote PC are offered.
• 3-4 qualifying races throughout Switzerland by SWISS FPV COMMUNITY with an unlimited number of participants.
• The best 16 pilots in these qualifying races are then eligible to take part in the OFFICIAL SWISS CHAMPIONSHIP organized by the SDL. At the Swiss championship, the results of this major event are also used to determine the Swiss champion and the final nomination of the pilots for participation in the World Championship.
• LIVE broadcast of the SWISS CHAMPIONSHIP in the stream and at the end of the year 25-minute TV magazine with a review of BLUE ZOOM.