Ahead of the headset deal, Sony was already working with the NFL as a technology partner across several different aspects of the game, including utilizing Sony’s Hawk-Eye virtual measurement system for the NFL’s new line-to-gain this season; implementing Sony’s Beyond Sports technology for alternative broadcasts, such as the NFL’s Toy Story game from 2023; and featuring Sony cameras throughout the NFL’s programming.
So when the NFL was looking for a partner for its headsets, Sony fit right into the game plan.
Tracie Rodburg, senior vice president of global partnerships at the NFL, said that Sony, much like Microsoft tablets on the sidelines or Nike uniforms for the players, is endemic to the league.
“We are not an organization that is just going to put a brand in there for brand sake, but we do have the opportunities when it is about: What are you doing to help advance the game?” Rodburg said. “That’s why you now see the relationship come to life so much in this particular way.”
The years spent working together also built up a vital level of trust.
After all, the NFL’s ask wasn’t easy: To deliver a custom headset in time for the NFL preseason, Sony engineers had to put the product together in under a year.
According to the executives, the build involved Sony engineers traveling from Japan to meet with the NFL’s IT and operations personnel to understand the demands of the game, and then delving into the nuances: how the technology reacts to cold, crowd noise, heat, and other environmental factors. Coaches and the NFL also gave direct feedback as Sony implemented and tested changes.
“This was a pretty quick build of a custom product,” Wasserman said. “Built custom and delivered in time for the [preseason] Hall of Fame Game. It was a true collaboration between both [the Sony and NFL] teams, and because there was that history and trust, it worked really well to meet deadlines and demands the NFL needed.”
Rodburg noted that there would be continuous improvement as the nuances of the game revealed themselves; however, the initial results have been so positive that both she and Sony Electronics president Neal Manowitz could “take a breath.”
“The first week, I was definitely on pins and needles and texting with Neal, who I did the deal with at Sony, just because this was our moment that we had worked so hard together to get to,” Rodburg said. “Then to see it on the field—and the most important part is that they worked, not only perfectly, they worked better than any coach thought that they would.”
According to Wasserman, moving forward, Sony will further support its presence in the game by running ads on Thursday Night Football and programmatic placements in Monday Night games, but the value of the relationship ultimately goes well beyond sports advertisements.
“When you’re seeing our logo, it’s not just on a sign,” Wasserman said. “It’s on every single coach as they’re communicating with their quarterbacks, calling plays. It is tied directly to our technology. That’s priceless.”
