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 ...
09/10/2026
September 10 2026, 06:00 (PDT) Dolby Expands Dolby OptiView Platform with New Capabilities at IBC 2026
New Sports Intelligence helps providers better unders...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
30/09/2026
Schibsted Media, one of Norways largest and most influential digital media publishers and content producers, has invested in mixers and digital signal processor...
30/09/2026
Big Blue Marble announces the addition of live multiview channels to Cloud Video Kit, its broadcast-grade video processing platform. The feature is powered by A...
30/09/2026
Leading video software provider Synamedia today announced that Telekom Slovenije, Slovenia's largest provider of telecommunications and TV services, is open...
30/09/2026
PODCAST EXPO 2026 Recorded Using Blackmagic Design Workflow
Brie Clayton September 29, 2026
0 Comments
Conference featuring 24 sessions over two days ...
30/09/2026
IBC2026 Show Report
David Kirk September 29, 2026
0 Comments
The International Broadcasting Convention has long been Europe's equivalent of the US...
30/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/09/2026
Mavis has launched Mavis Camera 8.2, the latest release of its professional camera app for the iPhone and iPad. This update brings support for iPhone 18 Pro and...
29/09/2026
Oak View Group (OVG) has announced Cisco as an Official Technology Partner, with plans to standardize infrastructure across its venue network on Cisco solutions...
29/09/2026
SportsNet Pittsburgh (SNP) won three honors at the 2026 Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards.
Program awards went to Bucs BP in the Sports Program Live category (produced ...
29/09/2026
The Professional Women's Hockey League has announced home openers for all 12 teams for the 2026-27 season, along with a broadcast partnership with CBC under...
29/09/2026
Manifold technologies has been recognized as a contributor to the Media eXchange...
29/09/2026
FuboTV has announced My Local Sports, allowing subscribers in select markets to add their local regional sports network (RSN) as an add-on to a Fubo Sports subs...
29/09/2026
Asian News International (ANI), a wire agency and video news provider based in India, has deployed Grass Valley's AMPP Media Operating System and Framelight...
29/09/2026
South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has deployed Ikegami UHK-X600 cameras as part of an upgrade to IP-based production infrastructure. The deployment ...
29/09/2026
REMI, REMCO models will drive the bulk of the broadcaster's NHL productions ...
29/09/2026
Three years in, the facility is supporting more centralized race production, com...
29/09/2026
NBC, Peacock, and NBSN are carrying all four Wild Card series with a production ...
29/09/2026
19 Nonfiction Projects Across All Stages of Production to Receive More Than $1 million in Support as Documentary Film Program Approaches 25th Anniversary
LOS ...
29/09/2026
Two new plug-ins launch alongside updated bundles
Zynaptiq have just announced the launch of two new plug-ins, alongside new and improved versions of two of...
29/09/2026
All-in-one bus processor revealed
Wes Audio's ng product range has come a long way since it was first introduced, and now includes a tasty selection of ...
29/09/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Ikegami announces that the South African Broadcasting Corporation, SABC, has chosen Ikegami UHK-X600 camera systems as part of an advance to IP-based operation ...
29/09/2026
Blendkit Offers 20% Discount to Celebrate Crossing 150K Asset Milestone
Brie Clayton September 29, 2026
0 Comments
Blendkit, the largest 3D asset libr...
29/09/2026
Interactive streaming specialist Ease Live supported more than 76.5 million fan sessions across three major European media operators during this summers FIFA Wo...
29/09/2026
Ease Live has added support for VAST (Video Ad Serving Template) to its graphical overlay technology, opening up new ways for broadcasters, streamers and rights...
29/09/2026
Rise AV has announced the launch of the inaugural Rise AV Awards, a new global awards programme celebrating the women, advocates and organisations across the AV...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Clear-Com announced that First Baptist Nashville has upgraded its production communications with a Clear-Com intercom solution as part of a comprehensive sanct...
29/09/2026
Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K Captured Action Shots for Sketch
Brie Clayton September 28, 2026
0 Comments
Camera's portable design and dynamic range...
29/09/2026
Kean Production Services Deploys AJA ColorBox to Deliver Consistent, Accurate Co...
29/09/2026
Berklee Alumni and Faculty Nominated for the 2026 Latin Grammy Awards A total of 28 Berklee alumni and faculty earned nominations across 20 categories this ye...
29/09/2026
Berklee's K-Pop & Beyond Explores Connections Between K-Pop and Hip-Hop Now in its fifth year, the series brings together artists, industry leaders, and s...
29/09/2026
NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN OR INTO OR TO ANY PERSON LOCATED OR RESIDENT IN, OR AT ANY ADDRESS IN, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ITS TERRITO...
29/09/2026
We tend to think we live in a digital world, with hopes and fears around artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, data centres and the next big technolo...
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 
