Sony is giving NFL’s coaches headsets a major makeover

Between the extreme weather and fans’ near-constant screams, coaching an NFL game is already a challenge. So, the league has tapped Sony to create custom-built headsets that will ideally operate better in those conditions.

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.”