OREANDA-NEWS. April 14, 2016. Just a few years ago, drones were mostly used to fly over hostile territory and spy on it. More than occasionally, the remote-controlled aircraft would take out a target with laser-guided missiles.

Now, the unmanned aerial vehicles have a new purpose: entertainment.

ESPN, the network that brought us "SportsCenter," and the International Drone Racing Association, said Wednesday it had signed a multi-year deal to broadcast drone races. The contests, some of which will be shown from the perspective of the aircraft, will be streamed on ESPN 3, the sports network's dedicated online channel for live events.

ESPN is betting the dozens of drone leagues that have formed in recent years will be successful in angling for mainstream attention. Last month, the United Arab Emirates hosted what it called the inaugural World Drone Prix in Dubai, awarding a British teenager \\$250,000 for first place. Earlier this year, the Drone Racing League launched with the explicit aim of becoming the Formula One of the sport.

So far, drone events have captured attention on social media but not in mainstream media. The ESPN-IDRA deal marks the first time a drone league has struck a pact with a sports media giant that could bring the sport to new fans.