Sony and the NFL Announce New Technology Partnership Hawk-Eye tech, new official coach's headset, Sony's Beyond Sports tech are components By Dan Daley, Audio Editor
Wednesday, July 31, 2024 - 10:28 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
The National Football League has named Sony Corp. an official technology partner and the new official headset provider for the league. The partnership covers an expansion of Sony's Hawk-Eye Innovations sports technology to support league officiating and development of on-field and sideline technologies.
One major element of the deal is a new coach's sideline-headset design, supporting coach-to-coach communication on the field and debuting for the 2025-26 season. The NFL and Sony will work jointly to develop the headset, which will be powered by Verizon Business's Managed Private Wireless Solution running on Verizon's 5G network.
Other partnership elements include greater involvement of Sony's Beyond Sports AI-based data-analysis and visualization technology using digital animation for real-time fan engagement.
Opportunity for Fan Engagement It's a broad collaboration, says Maya Wasserman, director, marketing. personal entertainment, home entertainment, and brand marketing, Sony. We have been working collaboratively with the NFL already. [Besides] expansion of the Sony Hawk-Eye innovation, this partnership includes the Sony imaging ecosystem, including [Sony broadcast cameras] and video, to bring fans closer to the game-day action. It also includes Sony's Beyond Sports for real-time visualization, which is a new opportunity to engage a new generation of NFL fans, a new coach's sideline headset, and then future collaborations and developments.
NFL Tracie Rodburg: You will see [the partnership] come to life not only through Hawk-Eye [and] our alt broadcast with Toy Story but also through those headsets on-field and the premium product that Sony will be creating for us.
NFL SVP, Global Partnership, Tracie Rodburg notes that the league has already been using Sony broadcast technology for game production, as have its network-broadcast partners CBS Sports, ESPN, FOX Sports, and NBC Sports.
But this really came about [because] there are so many different areas of our game that we want to continue to grow and innovate, she explains, noting that the broadcast partners were consulted during development of the new partnership. Since we had already been working with Sony in some of this capacity, it just made sense for us to make a commitment to continue this innovation and to make it encompass even more of our ecosystem, including our coaches, the players, the fans, and all of our clubs.
That's what really expands this partnership, she continues. You will see it come to life not only through Hawk-Eye [and] our alt broadcast with Toy Story but also through those headsets on-field and the premium product that Sony will be creating for us for the 2025 season. Everybody will understand that Sony is our technology partner and really advancing our game.
Hawk-Eye for Officiating and More Sony's Hawk-Eye tracking services will be deployed to further enhance the accuracy of game-critical items, along with development of new on-field sideline technologies. Hawk-Eye's technology has supported the NFL Officiating Department in reviewing and making critical rulings on plays. For coming seasons, Hawk-Eye and NFL will develop a next-generation officiating technology based on Hawk-Eye's state-of-art line-to-gain optical tracking technology.
NFL's Aaron Amendolia: We are continuing testing of our virtual measurement system: six cameras used to measure the ball for a moment, like the line-to-gain.
According to NFL Deputy CIO Aaron Amendolia, enhancements planned for the league's deployment of Hawk-Eye include the number of cameras in NFL stadiums. The first tests took place at the Las Vegas Raiders' Allegiant Stadium last season. The enhanced camera deployments will be rolled out in four stadiums for preseason play next month and are expected to be brought into full use for the 2025-26 season.
This year, 12 cameras will be dedicated to boundary lines to improve replay officiating. Those will be NFL-dedicated cameras to look at the boundary lines when they come into scope for a specific play review, he explains, adding, We are continuing testing of our virtual measurement system: six cameras used to measure the ball for a moment, like the line-to-gain.
Additionally, pairing the technology and the Hawk-Eye-captured data with player-tracking data from the NFL's Next Gen Stats powered by AWS and Sony's Beyond Sports visualization technology will create new avenues for real-time content creation, such as ESPN, Disney and the NFL's Emmy Award-winning Toy Story Funday Football alternative game presentation during the 2023 season. That effort brought a younger, more global audience to the game and has been the biggest live event on Disney+ streaming to date.
An Ecosystem and Opportunities for Development Sony products and technologies are already used extensively in many NFL stadiums across the country. Additionally, the new NFL Network studios in Inglewood, CA, have recently shifted many key operations and cameras to Sony technology.
Enhanced camera deployments are part of the partnership between Sony and the NFL.
Sony and the league expect the components of the deal to act synergistically. Matthew Parnell, senior director/head of brand and community marketing, and imaging solutions, Sony, calls it an ecosystem opportunity with continued development.
We're going to continue testing the Skelet track system, he says. This may unlock the opportunity for an official to have something like a wearable on their wrist and that wearable would receive data fro
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
03/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/03/2026
NBC Sports selected Imaginary Forces to create the main title sequence for the M...
02/03/2026
The NFL announces the launch of the NFL Draft Innovation Challenge, a new crowds...
02/03/2026
The World Teleport Association (WTA) has named Skyline Communications' DataMiner SatOps solution as a finalist for the 2026 Teleport Technology of the Year ...
02/03/2026
Ventum Tech announces a strategic partnership with Pixotope, a real-time graphic...
02/03/2026
Victory , a free, ad-supported sports streaming service, announces the launch of...
02/03/2026
Global powerhouse Delta Goodrem to represent Australia at this year's Eurovi...
02/03/2026
SBS brings together prominent voices to discuss rising social division and seek ...
02/03/2026
NITV Unveils Wednesday Night Sport Night
Media releases
A Midweek Hub for Blak Sport
Flagship NRL program Over The Black Dot moves to Wednesdays at 9:30pm
...
02/03/2026
Rohde & Schwarz demonstrates FR1-FR3 carrier aggregation, advancing 6G readiness Rohde & Schwarz and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. have reached another pivotal ...
02/03/2026
MELBOURNE, Fla., March 2, 2026 - L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) today announc...
02/03/2026
Harvey Norman tops New Zealand's biggest ad spenders as retail leads and telcos and beverages sure Auckland March 3, 2026 - Nielsen's New Zealand'...
02/03/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, and Arqit Quantum Inc. (Nasdaq: ARQQ, A...
02/03/2026
Advanced Systems Group, LLC (ASG), a technology and services provider for media creatives and content owners, has appointed Jody Boatwright as Chief Strategy Of...
02/03/2026
Lightware, an industry leader in signal management, is reinforcing its commitment to simplifying complex AV environments with the continued evolution of its TPN...
02/03/2026
ZEISS Cinema opens its doors to an exclusive screening, filmmakers Q&A and hands-on showcase of the new ZEISS Aatma lens family on Tuesday, March 10, 6:00-9:00 ...
02/03/2026
To expand the creative potential of the compact Astera QuikBeam, DoPchoice introduces the SNAPBAG Round. The new light-shaping accessory transforms the powerfu...
02/03/2026
Douglas Dubler
On a rooftop in New York City, veteran photographer Douglas Dubler watched the sun's angle shift across the urban landscape, his internal cl...
02/03/2026
ZEISS is expanding its Otus ML lens family with the introduction of the new ZEISS Otus ML 1.4/35. This manual-focus lens is designed for photographers who live ...
02/03/2026
Matthews Studio Equipment now offers the new Dinkum Systems White FlexiMount and Phone Mount Kit, a compact, highly adaptable setup for mobile content creation...
02/03/2026
Luxembourg, February 26, 2026 - SES and Africa Mobile Network (AMN) have expande...
02/03/2026
02 03 2026 - Media release Ausfilm and Screen Australia launch joint UK market initiative
Ausfilm and Screen Australia have announced Partner with Australia (...
02/03/2026
Monday 2 March 2026
Saturday Night Live UK announces writing team
L-R: Jonno Johnson; Charlie Skelton; Celya AB; Omar Badawy; Gr inne Maguire; Laura Claxton; ...
02/03/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Unveils the Trailer for 53 Sundays, the New Film by Cesc Gay
Entertainment
02 March 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
Dis...
28/02/2026
With two features seen in Formula 1 coverage, the broadcaster aims to bring view...
28/02/2026
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth addresses a crowd of approximately 1,500 L3Harris employees in Camden, Arkansas, as part of his Arsenal of Freedom tour....
28/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/02/2026
Berklee Presents Mambo Mania: Eguie Castrillo and the Berklee All-Stars Big Band...
28/02/2026
Berklee Announces Two New Summer Programs in Los Angeles The Berklee Music Business Program and Electronic Music Production and Sound Design Workshop bring imme...
28/02/2026
AI-RAN is moving from lab to field, showing that a software-defined approach is ...
28/02/2026
Autonomous networks - intelligent, self-managing telecommunications operations -...
28/02/2026
Back to All News
Final Trailer for BEASTARS Final Season Part 2' Roars Tow...
28/02/2026
New way to intentionally discover molecular glues could expand drug discovery Scripps Research scientists and colleagues show how drugs that eliminate certain d...
27/02/2026
The E.W. Scripps Company names Oliver Gray as Vice President, Network Sports and...
27/02/2026
The Gotham Sports App, the exclusive direct-to-consumer streaming home of MSG Networks and the YES Network, is now available for purchase through Prime Video fo...
Sony and the NFL Announce New Technology Partnership Hawk-Eye tech, new official coach's headset, Sony's Beyond Sports tech are components By Dan Daley, Audio Editor 
