The NFL hasn’t had a sponsorship logo on coaching headsets since its partnership with Bose ended. Next year, Sony will claim that space.
The new NFL-Sony partnership announced on Wednesday explains that Sony and the NFL will collaborate on a “new coach’s sideline headset that will debut in the 2025 season.”
The tentative plan as of March was to have Sony and Verizon share the semi-organic headset advertising role. According to Ben Fischer of Sports Business Journal, Verizon logos will appear on headsets at league-operated games — the international regular-season contests (starting with Packers-Eagles in Brazil on September 6), the Pro Bowl (if they even use headsets), and the Super Bowl.
Next year, Sony presumably will show up on the headsets in all other games.
It’s a valuable placement for any corporation. With every in-game shot of a head coach, the headset — and the logo on it — are visible. The NFL has been content to get nothing for that real estate since Bose tapped out, an acknowledgment that the league would rather get nothing at all than top dollar.