The referee will review the play on Microsoft's surface later in the game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland on January 4, 2025.
Scott Tesch | Getty Images
Microsoft And on Wednesday, the NFL announced it is expanding its partnership to bring real-time gaming data and analytics to coaches and players using Microsoft's Copilot and Azure Artificial Intelligence.
The MultiyEar Partnership upgrades the NFL sideline viewing system by equipping 32 teams with over 2,500 custom built Microsoft Surface Copilot Tablets to enhance game daytime data collection.. Microsoft and the NFL said the deal will support operations by helping managers track factors such as weather delays and technical equipment issues.
The NFL and Microsoft have not disclosed the extension's duration or total cost of transactions.
“Strengthening the league is a responsibility we take seriously, and Microsoft has been a trusted sideline technology partner for over a decade. With Microsoft's AI technology, including Copilot, we believe there is a huge opportunity to enhance the club's gaming semei experience and provide even more attractive products to our fans.
This extension is based on a long-standing partnership between Microsoft and the NFL. According to the NFL, since the 2014 season, all NFL teams have access to the specially configured Microsoft Surface Tablets offered by the league. Previously, Microsoft had over 2,300 Surface Sideline Viewing System Devices installed across the NFL.
NFL Deputy CIO Aaron Amendolia told CNBC in an interview that the existing tablets have already been replaced for preseason, and that new devices are currently in use in the field.
He said during the live game, players will only have a few seconds on the bench between plays, analyzing the formations and seeing different angles and photos. AI helps players and coaches automatically filter that vast amount of data, Amendolia said.
“This is not an AI decision. It's not an AI, it's not an AI, it doesn't inform decisions. In reality, AI is about making people more informed faster by having fewer manual interventions,” Amendolia said.
For coaches, Amendolia says that game data such as snap counts and personnel counts can be sent to Excel sheets in real time, such as counting in the field, freeing up such tasks and calculations from themselves.
Most recently, during the 2025 NFL Combine, coaches and scouts used Microsoft Azure AI to evaluate more than 300 future players in the NFL Draft.
Microsoft said Wednesday that the club will soon be able to use AI for drafts other than NFL combines and can be used for productivity across all business functions, including finance, HR and events.
According to Microsoft, football club staff will soon be able to use AI agents, which could also be used to scout players and manage pay caps.
The league says it has already implemented the kind of artificial intelligence in its OnePass fan guide app for events that could help fans question and answer questions. He said the NFL is trying to train so-called agent AI to focus more on customer service.
Tech Giant is working separately to inject Azure AI video tools during team practice sessions, to help coach, evaluate, and assess player injuries.
According to Amendolia, the video component automatically analyzes metadata, allowing users to quickly find a specific player, camera angle, or playback in the video footage.
