NFL, Sony Deal Bringing Hawk-Eye Technology, New Headphones To League
Wednesday, July 31, 2024 at 02:03PM By Barry Janoff
July 31, 2024: Stating that “advancing technology on and off the field is a top priority,” the NFL today signed a multi-year partnership naming Sony as an official technology partner and the league’s new official headphones.
The alliance is anchored by an expansion of Sony's sports technology through Hawk-Eye Innovations to "support officiating and the development of on-field and sideline technologies, including a new coach's sideline headset that will debut in the 2025 season," according to the NFL.
Sony said the league has already been using its broadcast technology for game production, as have its network broadcast partners CBS, ESPN, Fox and NBC.
Financial terms were not shared.
Gary Brantley, NFL chief information officer, said the league would test Sony's Hawk-Eye technology during some preseason games, with the traditional “chain gain” and chain markers used as a backup measure to detrain first-down success or failure, according to AP Sports.
The Hawk-Eye system, owned by Sony, is used elsewhere, including during many ATP Tour and Hologic WTA Tour tennis to determine whether a ball is in or out of play.
The NFL did not have a headset sponsor in 2023 and will not have one this season.
Bose was the NFL’s official headset from 2014-22, replacing Motorola, which was the official headset from 2000-12. In 2013, the league put its shield on the headset as it did in 2023 and will in 2024.
Sony said the new partnership is the “latest example of Sony's deep integration throughout NFL games, ranging from sideline photography to broadcast cameras and production, to technology that supports officiating, enhancements for in-stadium fan experiences and more.”
Sony shared the news of the alliance with a promotional spot, “The Sound That Drives Us,” featuring Jordan Love, Brandon Aiyuk, Jahmyr Gibbs and Kyle Hamilton (pictured below).
“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," Neal Manowitz, president and COO of Sony Electronics North America, said via the company.
“From best-in-class professional photography and the broadcast capture of the game to some of the world's most advanced line-to-gain optical tracking, to upgraded in-stadium experiences and more, we remain focused on this commitment.
The NFL and Sony said they would work closely to “develop this new headset supporting coach-to-coach communication on the field. These will be powered by Verizon Business' Managed Private Wireless Solution running on Verizon's reliable 5G network.”
Sony's Hawk-Eye tracking services will be utilized to “further enhance the accuracy of game-critical items like line-to-gain measurement. Additionally, Sony's Beyond Sports and its expertise in real-time visualization provides an opportunity to help engage the next generation of NFL fans.”
"We're in the installation phase for all of our stadiums, really getting them calibrated and up to date," Brantley told AP Sports.
"We're just really getting to a place where this system is as accurate as possible and really calibrating across our multiple stadiums . . . We have multiple stadiums with multiple dimensions inside of those stadiums with different age. So, we're really just going through the installation of putting in the infrastructure and making sure these cameras are installed."
According to Manowitz, “This partnership stems from years of integration into the NFL across these many different areas, and we are excited to officially join forces and pursue our passions together with one of the largest sports organizations in the world."
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