The National Football League (NFL) has named Sony Corp. as an official technology partner and the new official headset provider for the league. This partnership extends Sony’s Hawk-Eye Innovations sports technology to support league officiating and the development of on-field and sideline technologies.
A key element of the deal is a new coach’s sideline-headset design, set to debut in the 2025-26 season. This headset will support coach-to-coach communication and will be developed jointly by the NFL and Sony, powered by Verizon Business’s Managed Private Wireless Solution on Verizon’s 5G network.
Additionally, the partnership will incorporate Sony’s Beyond Sports AI-based data-analysis and visualisation technology for real-time fan engagement. Maya Wasserman, Director of Marketing at Sony, highlighted the broad scope of the collaboration, which includes Sony's imaging ecosystem, broadcast cameras, and video technology to bring fans closer to game-day action. This initiative aims to engage a new generation of NFL fans through advanced visualisation and other future developments.
Tracie Rodburg, NFL SVP of Global Partnership, noted that the league has already been using Sony broadcast technology for game production. The new partnership will expand these innovations to include coaches, players, fans, and all NFL clubs. "This really expands this partnership," she said, emphasising the integration of Hawk-Eye, the Toy Story alt broadcast, and the premium headsets to be created for the 2025 season.
Sony’s Hawk-Eye technology will be deployed to enhance the accuracy of game-critical items and develop new on-field sideline technologies. Hawk-Eye has supported the NFL Officiating Department in reviewing and making critical rulings on plays.
Future enhancements will include more cameras in NFL stadiums, with the first tests conducted at the Las Vegas Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium last season. Twelve cameras will be dedicated to boundary lines for improved replay officiating, and a virtual measurement system will be tested using six cameras to measure the ball's position.
Pairing Hawk-Eye technology with player-tracking data from the NFL’s Next Gen Stats and Sony’s Beyond Sports visualisation technology will create new avenues for real-time content creation. This includes innovative presentations like ESPN and Disney’s “Toy Story Funday Football,” which attracted a younger, more global audience and became the biggest live event on Disney+ streaming.
The NFL's headsets, previously associated with Bose and Motorola, will now be designed entirely by Sony. "This is a completely bespoke new model," explained an NFL spokesperson, emphasising the detailed engineering efforts to ensure the headsets meet the NFL's specific needs for noise cancellation, durability, and performance in extreme environments.
Over the next two NFL seasons, these new elements will be rolled out, with both Sony and the NFL anticipating a long and fruitful collaboration. NFL CIO Gary Brantley expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, stating, "Advancing technology on and off the field is a top priority for the NFL, and this partnership will fortify Sony’s role in the NFL’s ever-growing technology ecosystem."
Neal Manowitz, President and COO of Sony Electronics North America, added, "We are committed to creating the future of sports with technology and constantly driving innovation to positively impact the world of athletics for players, coaches, and fans alike."