Last summer, NFL coaches watched old sideline chains teeter on extinction. In Kansas City, Sony’s Hawk-Eye rigs—six 8K cameras—locked onto the football like hawks to prey. “We did a lot of due diligence with the NFL to make sure that we’ve chosen the right cameras and the right placement of the cameras to make sure that our accuracy was where it needed to be,” Dan Cash, managing director of Sony’s Hawk-Eye, said. By September, replays morphed into real-time truth, slicing 40 seconds off tedious measurements.

Fans didn’t cheer louder, but the league quietly revealed that, finally, technology could end decades of ‘did he or didn’t he?’ drama. And while cameras transformed first downs, another project hummed behind Sony’s lab doors. Engineers ran prototypes through freezer blasts, sideling showers, and punishing drop tests. The mission? Marry the WH-1000XM6’s noise-cancelling magic with NFL-grade grit.

Behind the scenes, Sony’s team visited actual sidelines, partnering with NFL IT, game ops, and coaches to iteratively refine mic placement, fit, and wireless stability. Fast forward to now, and every helmeted leader from Andy Reid to Mike is set to rock Sony’s new headset. That’s true. On Monday, Sony and the NFL announced the launch of their new headset ahead of the 2025 season.

“A coaching change: @SonyElectronics announced its new NFL Coach’s Headset that will roll out for use by all 32 teams this season. They’ve been designed with Sony’s noise-canceling tech to block out crowd noise, isolate coach vocals, and operate in harsh weather conditions. They’re already in use during preseason practices and will debut in game during the Hall of Fame Game on July 31,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported.

Neal Manowitz, president and chief operating officer of Sony Electronics Inc., emphasized, “We’ve taken a coach-first approach — listening, testing, and engineering to make sure we can accommodate the many unique demands of the sport.” The development of the innovative headsets began in July 2024. And as per the first part of the project, Sony conducted interviews with NFL coaches and staffers from all 32 teams.

Theresa Alesso, President of Imaging Products and Solutions at Sony Electronics, shared her insight on innovation, saying, “This is just the next step in the equation, being able to bring these coaches’ headsets to the NFL and working collaboratively with them to give the coaches and the teams … what they need.” The headset, which will debut during the Hall of Fame Game on July 31, primarily focuses on the quality of the microphone.

The new headset packs a custom dynamic microphone so precise it can pluck a coach’s voice straight out of a 100-decibel roar, banishing crowd chaos and sideline chatter to the background. Using real-time signal processing, the mic doesn’t just boost a coach’s voice—it filters out the frenzy, cutting through noise so commands come through clean, crisp, and unmistakable.

The headset can withstand the physical demands of the sidelines during a showdown, including intense weather conditions, such as rain, sleet, snow, extreme heat, and cold. If the reports are accurate, the headsets will be integrated into all 32 teams ahead of the 2025 season. But the fun is not just limited to the coaches. Players are in the mix as well.

Sony guarantees better communication between coaches and players

Coaches can communicate with players on both sides of the game. On the offensive side of the ball, it’ll always be a quarterback. But on the defensive side of the ball? Well, it may vary. But in a typical NFL game, a stadium routinely exceeds 100 decibels, which can definitely drown out the quarterback’s helmet speaker. Even with noise reduction, the roar sometimes makes play calls hard to catch.

The radio signal occasionally cuts out, and the small speaker in the helmet doesn’t deliver crystal-clear sound—more like a muffled, compressed voice. Additionally, the coaches have only 15 seconds left on the play clock before the signal cuts automatically. To enhance the experience and communication between players and coaches, Sony has improved the quality of speakers in players’ helmets. The reason? Simple: so they can listen properly to what their coaches are saying.

“As a head coach, communication to my staff and players is everything. Sony took the time to understand exactly what we need — from clarity in noisy environments, to comfort and reliability when the pressure is highest,” the Packers‘ head coach, Matt LaFleur, said in a news release. “This headset took all factors of the game into consideration, and I am looking forward to being able to rely on them during the game throughout this season and beyond.”

Aside from the headset and helmet improvement, Sony has also improved certain features, including noise cancellation and water resistance. “We want to make sure — regardless of what happens during the game — that the technology is durable and will still work,” NFL senior vice president of football operations Kimberly Fields said.

All told, the 2024 season showcased Sony’s Hawk-Eye cameras redefining first downs, shaving 40 seconds off tedious chain measurements. And now, the way it’s all unfolded, this $151.38 billion giant has unleashed a sideline innovation set to change the NFL’s rhythm forever.