The Drone Racing League's new partnership with Google is the startup's latest big deal in its quest to become a $1 billion sport, president Rachel Jacobson tells Axios.

Driving the news: Today's agreement with Google Cloud includes a race on Oct. 11 in San Jose, timed with its annual developer conference, and integrating Google's cloud tech in the race. 

Why it matters: The 7-year-old New York-based company is poised to ink more deals and raise more funding.

Details: Since joining the DRL in 2020, Jacobson has been orchestrating large-scale agreements. She brought with her 21 years of experience working for the NBA as one of its top dealmakers.

By the numbers: Jacobson declined to reveal how close the DRL is to reaching her aspirational $1 billion valuation.

The big picture: What differentiates the DRL from other major sports leagues is that it owns "the entire ecosystem," Jacobson says. The DRL, with its 63 employees, manages the drones, the race course and the pilots.

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