Sony overhauls NFL coaches' headsets significantly
The National Football League (NFL) has partnered with Sony to introduce a new generation of custom-built headsets for coaches, set to roll out this season. The partnership aims to enhance sideline communication and real-time strategy, ending a three-year absence of a headset sponsor after the deal with Bose ended in 2022.
The development of the headsets was a collaborative process involving the NFL, clubs, coaches, Sony, and people who use the headset on game day. According to Shunsuke Nakahashi, product manager for audio at Sony, all the headsets work perfectly, regardless of the condition.
## Key Features and Improvements
The headsets leverage advanced noise-cancelling technology, similar to that found in Sony’s WH-1000XM6 consumer headphones. This technology has been specifically optimized for stadium environments to isolate and clarify the coach’s voice, even amidst crowds exceeding 100 decibels.
Each headset is equipped with a durable, custom-built microphone designed to isolate the coach’s voice. This ensures clear communication by minimizing background noise and environmental interference.
The headsets are built from the ground up for durability and comfort, using materials and designs that can withstand frequent use and the physical demands of NFL sidelines.
## Testing and Endurance
Sony conducted extensive testing using actual crowd noises, with sound levels exceeding 100 decibels, to fine-tune the noise-cancelling algorithms for in-stadium accuracy. The headsets underwent rigorous endurance tests in both sweltering hot and bone-chilling cold conditions to ensure reliable performance under all weather extremes.
The testing process also focused on the headsets’ ability to survive the rough handling and physical demands of NFL sidelines, ensuring that they remain operational throughout the most intense games.
These advances aim to provide NFL coaches with reliable, clear communication tools no matter the stadium environment or weather conditions. The new headsets, with their improved noise-cancelling capabilities and custom-built microphones, are set to revolutionize sideline communication in the NFL.
The NFL's partnership with Sony is a multi-year deal, but the financial terms haven't been announced. However, according to Apex Marketing, Sony is estimated to earn about $150 million in advertising annually from the deal. Sony's logo will be prominently displayed on the new headsets, providing the company with significant exposure during highly-rated NFL games.
The NFL's success, with revenue of $13 billion in 2023, comes from growing sponsorship revenue, which increased 6% last year to $2.35 billion. Part of this success includes the NFL's 2024 deal with Sony, which also includes Sony as its "official technology partner," covering cameras, line-calling technology, and production assistance for alternative telecasts.
The NFL aims to avoid a repeat of the debacle it had with Microsoft Surface tablets in 2013, where the technology failed to live up to expectations. With Sony's new headsets, the NFL seems to be taking a proactive approach to ensure that the technology meets the needs of its coaches and players.
Sports and technology are intertwined in the NFL's latest partnership with Sony, as they embark on a quest to revolutionize sideline communication with new generation headsets. These headsets boast advanced noise-cancelling technology, custom-built microphones, and durable designs, all optimized for stadium environments. In the realm of business and finance, Sony is estimated to generate about $150 million in advertising annually from this multi-year deal, while avoiding repeating technological mishaps of the past, like the Microsoft Surface tablets debacle in 2013.
