Latest news with #KimberlyFields
CNN
14-07-2025
- Business
- CNN
Sony is giving NFL coaches' headsets a major makeover
The NFL is partnering with Sony for new coaches headsets that will roll out this season. New York CNN — Between extreme weather and noisy stadiums, coaching a football game can be difficult. So, the NFL and Sony are listening to coaches to design new, custom-built headsets that can function best under tough conditions. The league announced Monday it was furthering its technology partnership with Sony, creating new headsets for coaches rolling out this season. That ends a three-year absence of a headset sponsor after its deal with Bose ended in 2022. For coaches, the new headsets involved rigorous testing in sweltering hot and bone-chilling conditions, improved noise-cancelling capabilities, and a custom-built microphone that better isolates the coach's voice, improving their communication. The headsets, which took a year to build, were a 'collaborative process between Sony, the NFL, clubs, coaches and people who use the headset on game day,' Kimberly Fields, NFL's senior vice president of football operations, told CNN. 'There was a constant feedback loop from the coaches about what was important to them.' In particular, durability was an important attribute, especially since some games are played in downpours, high heat and sub-zero conditions. Engineers tried out the headsets in freezers, outside Sony's headquarters in humid Tokyo, and even in the shower to ensure they are waterproof, said Shunsuke Nakahashi, product manager for audio at Sony. Sony said the new headsets undergone rigorous testing with NFL coaches and staff. 'The most important point is all the headsets work perfectly, regardless of the condition,' he told CNN. 'If it's autumn in Southern California, it's nice. But it needs to be working perfectly in January in Buffalo or in hot conditions in Miami.' The intensive testing should help the NFL avoid the debacle it had with Microsoft Surface tablets in 2013. Shortly after their reported $400 million partnership began, coaches and players publicly trashed the devices for not working or being complicated to use. Despite the rocky beginning, Surface tablets are still in use today. Financial terms of the multi-year deal with Sony weren't announced. However, the headsets are emblazoned with the company's logo, giving Sony massive exposure during the highly-rated games. Apex Marketing, which tracks sponsorship money, told CNN that Sony is estimated to earn about $150 million in advertising annually from the deal. That's because the logo can be seen during games and on other NFL-related programming, such as on HBO's 'Hard Knocks.' (Like CNN, HBO is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery). The headsets are part of the NFL's 2024 deal that named Sony as its 'official technology partner,' which includes cameras, line-calling technology dubbed Hawk-Eye and production assistance for its alternative telecasts, such as inserting characters from 'SpongeBob SquarePants' and 'The Simpsons' into the broadcast. The NFL is one of the world's largest sports leagues, with revenue hitting $13 billion in 2023, according to Sportico. Part of the league's success comes from growing sponsorship revenue, which increased 6% last year to $2.35 billion, per a report from SponsorUnited and obtained by CNN, which tracks money in sports.
CNN
14-07-2025
- Sport
- CNN
Sony is giving NFL's coaches headsets a major makeover
Between extreme weather and noisy stadiums, coaching a football game can be difficult. So, the NFL and Sony are listening to coaches to design new, custom-built headsets that can function best under tough conditions. The league announced Monday it was furthering its technology partnership with Sony, creating new headsets for coaches rolling out this season. That ends a three-year absence of a headset sponsor after its deal with Bose ended in 2022. For coaches, the new headsets involved rigorous testing in sweltering hot and bone-chilling conditions, improved noise-cancelling capabilities, and a custom-built microphone that better isolates the coach's voice, improving their communication. The headsets, which took a year to build, were a 'collaborative process between Sony, the NFL, clubs, coaches and people who use the headset on game day,' Kimberly Fields, NFL's senior vice president of football operations, told CNN. 'There was a constant feedback loop from the coaches about what was important to them.' In particular, durability was an important attribute, especially since some games are played in downpours, high heat and sub-zero conditions. Engineers tried out the headsets in freezers, outside Sony's headquarters in humid Tokyo, and even in the shower to ensure they are waterproof, said Shunsuke Nakahashi, product manager for audio at Sony. 'The most important point is all the headsets work perfectly, regardless of the condition,' he told CNN. 'If it's autumn in Southern California, it's nice. But it needs to be working perfectly in January in Buffalo or in hot conditions in Miami.' The intensive testing should help the NFL avoid the debacle it had with Microsoft Surface tablets in 2013. Shortly after their reported $400 million partnership began, coaches and players publicly trashed the devices for not working or being complicated to use. Despite the rocky beginning, Surface tablets are still in use today. Financial terms of the multi-year deal with Sony weren't announced. However, the headsets are emblazoned with the company's logo, giving Sony massive exposure during the highly-rated games. Apex Marketing, which tracks sponsorship money, told CNN that Sony is estimated to earn about $150 million in advertising annually from the deal. That's because the logo can be seen during games and on other NFL-related programming, such as on HBO's 'Hard Knocks.' (Like CNN, HBO is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery). The headsets are part of the NFL's 2024 deal that named Sony as its 'official technology partner,' which includes cameras, line-calling technology dubbed Hawk-Eye and production assistance for its alternative telecasts, such as inserting characters from 'SpongeBob SquarePants' and 'The Simpsons' into the broadcast. The NFL is one of the world's largest sports leagues, with revenue hitting $13 billion in 2023, according to Sportico. Part of the league's success comes from growing sponsorship revenue, which increased 6% last year to $2.35 billion, per a report from SponsorUnited and obtained by CNN, which tracks money in sports.
New York Times
14-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
NFL, Sony set to debut new headsets for coaches this season
During the 2025 NFL season, coaches will use new headsets developed by Sony. It's part of a growing partnership between the league and the company, which also created the 'Hawk-Eye' technology that'll be used as the primary method for measuring the line to gain. '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,' Theresa Alesso, Sony Electronics' president of imaging products and solutions, said. Advertisement The development of the new headset, which utilizes engineering principles from Sony's 1000X headphone series, began last July. The first step was conducting interviews with NFL coaches and staffers from all 32 teams. 'We spent a lot of time working with coaches and with game day assistants getting feedback,' NFL senior vice president of football operations Kimberly Fields said. 'And Sony has been a great partner to take that feedback and improve upon the design of the headset that we'll be launching this year.' One of the main areas of focus that emerged was a desire to improve the quality of the microphone. The new headset will have a custom dynamic microphone that isolates a coach's voice from crowd noise and other sounds on the sideline. Through real-time signal processing, the microphone amplifies and filters the coaches' voices so they can be heard clearly. Sony also improved the quality of the speakers in players' helmets so they can hear better what their coaches are saying. On-field, coach-to-player communication is allowed between a coach and one player on each side of the ball. On offense, that player is always the quarterback. It varies on defense, but it's usually a linebacker or safety. The communication is cut off either when there's 15 seconds left on the play clock or when the ball is snapped, whichever comes first. It will also be easier for coaches to mute their microphones when they want to have direct in-person conversations with officials, players and other staffers. To mute the microphone, they simply have to raise the lever. 'As a head coach, communication with my staff and players is everything,' Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur said in a news release. 'Sony took the time to understand exactly what we need — from clarity in noisy environments to comfort and reliability when the pressure is highest.' Besides the changes to the headset microphone and in-helmet speakers, Sony also improved features such as noise cancellation and water resistance, in addition to making the equipment more comfortable and durable. Last season, Sony sent audio engineers from Tokyo to conduct testing at several NFL stadiums. They recorded crowd noise, which they used in a sound room in Tokyo to test the noise cancellation. They also exposed the headsets to extreme heat and cold, rain, sleet and snow to test their ability to handle adverse conditions. There were also various drop tests to ensure the headsets can hold up when coaches inevitably slam them down in frustration. Advertisement In addition to the lab trials, NFL coaches conducted real-world testing with the headsets during practices and preseason games last year. That led to more feedback and fine-tuning. All 32 teams now possess the new headsets, which will be used when training camps kick off in the coming weeks. The NFL is confident the new tools will improve the overall experience for coaches once games get underway. 'We want to make sure — regardless of what happens during the game — that the technology is durable and will still work,' Fields said. 'Sony has risen to that challenge, and then some.' (Photos courtesy of Sony)
CNN
14-07-2025
- Sport
- CNN
Sony is giving NFL's coaches headsets a major makeover
Between extreme weather and noisy stadiums, coaching a football game can be difficult. So, the NFL and Sony are listening to coaches to design new, custom-built headsets that can function best under tough conditions. The league announced Monday it was furthering its technology partnership with Sony, creating new headsets for coaches rolling out this season. That ends a three-year absence of a headset sponsor after its deal with Bose ended in 2022. For coaches, the new headsets involved rigorous testing in sweltering hot and bone-chilling conditions, improved noise-canceling capabilities, and a custom-built microphone that better isolates the coach's voice, improving their communication. The headsets, which took a year to build, were a 'collaborative process between Sony, the NFL, clubs, coaches and people who use the headset on game day,' Kimberly Fields, NFL's senior vice president of football operations, told CNN. 'There was a constant feedback loop from the coaches about what was important to them.' In particular, durability was an important attribute, especially since some games are played in downpours, high heat and sub-zero conditions. Engineers tried out the headsets in freezers, outside Sony's headquarters in humid Tokyo, and even in the shower to ensure they are waterproof, said Shunsuke Nakahashi, product manager for audio at Sony. 'The most important point is all the headsets work perfectly, regardless of the condition,' he told CNN. 'If it's autumn in Southern California, it's nice. But it needs to be working perfectly in January in Buffalo or in hot conditions in Miami.' The intensive testing should help the NFL avoid the debacle it had with Microsoft Surface tablets in 2013. Shortly after their reported $400 million partnership began, coaches and players publicly trashed the devices for not working or being complicated to use. Despite the rocky beginning, Surface tablets are still in use today. Financial terms of the multi-year deal with Sony weren't announced. However, the headsets are emblazoned with the company's logo, giving Sony massive exposure during the highly-rated games. Apex Marketing, which tracks sponsorship money, told CNN that Sony is estimated to earn about $150 million in advertising annually from the deal. That's because the logo can be seen during games and on other NFL-related programming, such as on HBO's 'Hard Knocks.' (Like CNN, HBO is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery). The headsets are part of the NFL's 2024 deal that named Sony as its 'official technology partner,' which includes cameras, line-calling technology dubbed Hawk-Eye and production assistance for its alternative telecasts, such as inserting characters from 'SpongeBob SquarePants' and 'The Simpsons' into the broadcast. The NFL is one of the world's largest sports leagues, with revenue hitting $13 billion in 2023, according to Sportico. Part of the league's success comes from growing sponsorship revenue, which increased 6% last year to $2.35 billion, per a report from SponsorUnited and obtained by CNN, which tracks money in sports.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NFL Preps First-Down Tech for 2025, Chain Gang Sidelined
The NFL expects to adopt automated measurement of potential first-down calls in 2025, league officials told reporters on Wednesday, but fans will still have plenty of chances to get irrationally upset with human refs. While cameras will replace the chain gang in determining whether the first down line-to-gain was reached—a major tech development for the league—live game officials will continue to spot the football between plays. The physical chains will remain on NFL sidelines in 2025, both as a backup in case of tech failure and as a persistent aid for players and coaches. According to CBS Sports, competition committee sign-off is required for the new policy to go into effect. More from NFLPA Report Cards: Josh Harris' Commanders Leap From Last to 11th Fanatics 'Hype Drop' Strategy Is Scoring First-Time Customers City of Cleveland Asks for Dismissal of Browns Stadium Lawsuit The NFL tested Sony Hawk-Eye technology during the 2024 preseason, though some complained about the time required for certain checks. According to NFL data, the automated process takes an average of 30 seconds, compared to 75 seconds for the existing manual process. The league said an average of 12 old-school measurements were made during each week of the regular season. 'Our general philosophy around any innovation is it really has to improve upon the process that we currently have,' NFL SVP of football business and innovation strategy Kimberly Fields said in an interview in August. '[Otherwise], we're not going to roll it out or test it.' Replay technicians in the NFL's review center will train with the system during the upcoming UFL season, while broadcasters and stadium presenters will have the NFL preseason to adjust to the new flow. Hawk-Eye technology is already used by others, including major tennis tournaments and the NBA. In tennis, Hawk-Eye boasts an average accuracy within a couple millimeters, though that hasn't totally prevented controversy. The tool is currently being tested for use in MLB strike zone reviews. The NFL system relies on six cameras with 8k resolution installed in each stadium. NFL play still presents myriad challenges to a potentially fully automated ball-spotting system. While NFL game balls include position-tracking microchips, identifying the correct spot requires a combination of recognizing when a player is down, the orientation of the prolate spheroid at that point, and so on. 'There are a combination of factors there, but I do think that technology will exist sometime in the future,' NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said during his annual pre-Super Bowl press conference, when asked about automated first-down calls. 'We're continuing a lot with our partners. It's how to advance that as quickly as possible so we can get to that place.' Best of MLS Franchise Valuations Ranking List: From LAFC to CF Montréal Tennis Prize Money Tracker: Which Player Has Earned the Most in 2025? Who Is Josh Harris, the Washington Commanders' Owner?
