In July, the National Football League and Sony announced a partnership naming Sony the Official Technology Partner of the NFL, as well as the NFL's new Official Headphones.
Through the partnership, Sony and the NFL will work with coaches, players, teams and leadership across the organization to transform the future of football, including expanding Sony's sports technology through Hawk-Eye Innovations to support officiating and develop on-field and sideline technology, including new sideline headsets for coaches scheduled to debut during the 2025 season, the NFL added.
The NFL and Sony will work closely together to develop this new headset to support coach-to-coach communication on the field. The headset will be powered by a Verizon Business managed private wireless solution running on Verizon's reliable 5G network. Sony's Hawk-Eye tracking service will be leveraged to further improve accuracy of game-critical aspects such as line-to-gain measurements. Additionally, Sony's Beyond Sports and real-time visualization expertise will provide an opportunity to engage the next generation of NFL fans.
“Building on our long-standing relationship, the NFL is excited to welcome industry leader Sony as our official technology partner,” said Gary Brantley, NFL Chief Information Officer. “Advancing technology on and off the field is a top priority for the NFL, and this partnership strengthens Sony's role in the NFL's growing technology ecosystem, elevating multiple aspects of the sport and bringing fans closer to the action on game day. From expanding Sony's Hawk-Eye technology into games to utilizing Sony's suite of advanced imaging products to introducing new coaches' headsets in 2025, the NFL will leverage Sony's expertise to drive innovation and further solidify the league's position as a premier sports organization.”
This new partnership is the latest example of Sony's deep integration across the entire NFL game, from sideline photography to broadcast cameras and production, to technology supporting officiating and enhancing the in-stadium fan experience.
“We are committed to constantly driving innovation to shape the future of sports with technology and positively impact the world of sports for players, coaches and fans alike,” said Neal Manowitz, president and COO, Sony Electronics North America. “From best-in-class professional photography and game broadcast capture to world-leading line-to-gain optical tracking and enhanced in-stadium experiences, we remain focused on this effort. This partnership comes after years of integration with the NFL in various areas, and we're excited to officially join forces with one of the largest sports organizations in the world to pursue our passion.”
Sony cameras have been used by NFL broadcast partners for decades, including CBS Sports, ESPN, FOX Sports and NBC Sports, for broadcasting the league's biggest games and the Super Bowl.
Sony's products and technology are also used extensively in many NFL stadiums across the U.S., creating opportunities for further expansion as teams and organizations continue to evolve the in-game experiences for fans.
Through this new partnership, the NFL and Sony will continue to work together to create new opportunities for football through technology and will focus on evolving the game to maximize engagement and enjoyment for fans, coaches and players.
Joseph Phillips is the sports editor for the Chicago Crusader. A Chicago native, he has been a sports reporter for over 17 years and hosts the SC Media News and Sports Network Q&A radio show on WHPK 88.5 FM Chicago.
