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One of the most visible parts of every NFL sideline is getting a big upgrade—enough to withstand the heightened emotions of the game.
Electronics giant Sony and the league have unveiled reworked coaching headsets that form a key part of an expanded deal between the two, finalized a year ago. The new headsets have a series of enhanced features, including improved noise canceling to filter out stadium sounds, and a greater ability to handle extreme heat, cold, humidity, and precipitation.
Perhaps the most notable feature of the new models, though, is an improved ability to withstand rigorous use—or abuse. The headsets “underwent extensive drop testing against the physical demands of the sidelines,” Sony and the NFL said, something critical as many coaches have been known to pull at or throw down the headsets in particularly tense or frustrating moments of games.
The NFL and Sony first disclosed their headset plans in January at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The headsets were then sent last month to each team in preparation for training camps that begin later this month, and they will have a public debut during the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on July 31 between the Lions and Chargers.
Models will be customized for each coach. Extensive testing has already been conducted, and it should be helpful to avoid a repeat of the rocky start, more than a decade ago, of the NFL’s use of Microsoft Surface tablets on the sidelines.
“We spent a lot of time with Sony and, critically, taking in a lot of input from coaches on what exactly they need,” NFL SVP of global partnerships Tracie Rodburg tells Front Office Sports. “These headsets were really put through the paces.”
The NFL had been without a headset sponsor since a prior deal with Bose ended in 2022.
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