EXCLUSIVE: The rubber is about to hit the road on a new creator-powered kart-racing franchise. The Internet Racing League will begin in Brazil, but has plans to go global, its founders told Deadline. The first names on board IRL are Brazilian creator Jon Vlogs, actor and racing driver Caio Castro, and former pro driver Cameron Das. Kai Henry’s new-school studio Fewture is behind IRL, and has teamed with TMG, which runs the Furia e-sports franchise.
The plan is to have the first races in Brazil in May 2026, before a Global Grand Championship in Las Vegas next December. Creator-led sports events have become big business. YouTuber Jake Paul is about to fight heavyweight pro Anthony Joshua, while the Sidemen can sell out England’s national soccer stadium, Wembley, for their annual charity match.
IRL will be a series of races streamed on TMG’s Madhouse YouTube channel locally and via the channels of the creators and athletes involved.
Vlogs, a creator and entrepreneur, will be a team president. Brazilian actor Castro, whose on-screen credits include the long-running series The Buzz and Novo Mundo, will also take part. He has cred behind the wheel as well as behind the camera, as an amateur racing driver taking part in the Porsche GT3 Carrera Cup Series. Adding more real-world racing experience is Cameron Das, a creator and former pro racing driver who has won the Formula 4 Championship and has taken part in the Euroformula Open Championship.
The IRL organizers said Das’ participation will serve to highlight talented but underfunded drivers in the megabucks world of motorsport: “IRL is designed to elevate the next generation of karting and grassroots racing talent, skilled young drivers who have historically lacked access to visibility and sponsorship opportunities. By fusing creator storytelling, live streaming, and social-first engagement, the league gives emerging athletes a global platform to be discovered, sponsored, and celebrated.”
Fewture and TMG are open to traditional rights deals down the track if IRL gets major traction, but the new model for creator-led sports events largely utilizes platforms like YouTube and Twitch and the creators’ own channels for distribution.
“We’re entering a new era of modern media distribution and entertainment,” said Henry, Founder & CEO of Fewture Studios. “Creators are the new syndication model, and attention is the most valuable asset powering the next generation of entertainment IP, especially in live.” He added that the plan is to add other sports to the roster. “IRL is just the beginning, we plan to launch several other creator-led sports leagues over the next three to five years.”
“The lines between creators and athletes have been blurring for a while now” added Brandon Dalton, Chief Attention Officer at Fewture Studios. “IRL sits at that intersection, helping empower and give visibility to under-supported racing talent to move from karting circuits to global stages.”
Fewture’s Fewture Fund and LatAm bank Itaú BBA are leading a funding round for live event production, creator partnerships, and building out the infrastructure for IRL and other sports and entertainment IP.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Fewture as we build at the intersection of sports and entertainment,” said André Akkari, Co-Founder of TMG Group. “With Madhouse TV as our distribution engine and by leveraging FURIA’s credibility and reach, we’ll bring IRL to fans in Brazil and beyond.”
