Microsoft’s new NFL deal could let you blame Copilot AI for terrible playcalls

The NFL and Microsoft have extended their arrangement that makes Surface tablets a familiar fixture on gameday sidelines, but naturally, now there’s an AI-powered twist on top.

While Tom Brady is no longer actively putting those slates in danger of destruction, they do have something to offer to coaches and players. Microsoft touts a GitHub Copilot-based feature that filters plays to make strategy calls based on the situation, and a Microsoft 365 Copilot-based dashboard that sorts spreadsheets for analysts in the booth to filter through game data quickly.

Along with their multiyear contract extension, Microsoft and the NFL announced that the Sideline Viewing System for every team is now connecting to more than 2,500 Surface Copilot Plus PCs (complete with massive “Copilot” logos on the case carrying strap).

I figure we’ll be able to tell if AI is having an impact on the NFL when someone asks a coach about their prompts after a playoff game, as long as there aren’t any more network issues to blame.

The two claim that “analyzing draft prospect performance outside the NFL Combine, providing data-driven business and football operations insights to clubs, and driving productivity across all business functions, including finance, human resources, and events” will be next up for AI applications.