List of Notable Jumbotron Controversies and Mishaps
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After tech CEO Andy Byron went viral for being caught in an affair during a Coldplay concert's kiss cam, other notable Jumbotron incidents are being remembered as past controversies.
On Thursday, Astronomer CEO Byron was shown romantically holding his company's chief people officer, Kristin Cabot, at a recent Coldplay concert.
Astronomer, a private data infrastructure startup, secured "unicorn" status in 2022 with a $1 billion or more valuation, and is now headquartered in New York City. However, the company's rush to the limelight for its executives' behavior has sparked conversations over Jumbotron usage and ethical corporate behavior.
Why It Matters
Jumbotrons are large video displays used around the world, most commonly at sports stadiums and concert venues.
While many guests at a concert might want to be shown in what essentially works as a Jumbotron guest spotlight or kiss cam, the public showcase of Byron and Cabot appeared to be the opposite of what they wanted, with both individuals immediately ending their embrace and ducking from the camera.
"Oh, look at these two," Coldplay frontman Chris Martin said at the time.
"All right, come on, you're OK," Martin said after the pair immediately scattered away from the camera. "Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy."
A screen announces the attendance of 81,118 spectators during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 final match between Chelsea FC and Paris Saint-Germain at MetLife Stadium on July 13, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
A screen announces the attendance of 81,118 spectators during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 final match between Chelsea FC and Paris Saint-Germain at MetLife Stadium on July 13, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
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Minor League Break Up
Other notable Jumbotron events include a Minor League breakup message in 2021.
During an Akron RubberDucks game at Canal Park, one man used the Jumbotron to part ways with his partner, paying to deliver the message, "Alyssa, this relationship is OVER-Tim," across the screen.
The stadium announcer had no warning and read the message to thousands of people in the audience.
Failed Proposals
Another Jumbotron mishap proved the video displays might not be the most couple-friendly when a man proposed to his date at a Cubs-Red Sox baseball game in 2017.
The couple showed up on screen with the proposal, but it was an awkward situation as the duo didn't hug or smile, and the camera quickly cut away.
Another proposal failed Jumbotron-style at New York City's Barclays Center in 2021 when the WNBA's New York Liberty and the Washington Mystics were playing.
While an attendee appeared to ask his girlfriend to marry him, it did not go as planned, and she leaned down to kiss him and then promptly walked away.
A Groom Disappears
There are many ways Jumbotron proposals have gone wrong in the past, with one potential groom-to-be missing his own planned proposal at a Dolphins and Jets game at Hard Rock Stadium in 2021.
Dolphins fan Luis Llorens had planned to propose to his girlfriend Christine Dobrin at the game, but when the video display played a photo of the couple with the caption "Christine. Will you marry me?" and then panned to the live shot, only Dobrin was sitting.
Her boyfriend was in the tunnel beneath, under the mistaken idea that he was supposed to meet with a video crew.
"I didn't know what was going on because he wasn't at the seats, and looking all around, between the crying and the happiness, I didn't know where he was, so it was a whole big mix of emotions," Dobrin told Miami FOX affiliate WSVN.
Vikings Prank
The Minnesota Vikings fell victim to a Jumbotron mishap when featuring one Twitter user's fake tribute to service members and veterans.
"We're honoring our nation's service members, veterans, and their families during Sunday's game against Dallas," the Vikings wrote leading up to the game. "Share photos and stories of your loved ones who have served or are currently serving using #SkolSalute for a chance to have them featured on the video board Sunday."
"This is my cousin Joel who served in the Army," Twitter user @kylerulz4h wrote. "He has always been an inspiration and someone I look up to for his heroism. He is also a HUGE Vikes fan #skolsalute."
However, the mentioned cousin Joel was actually Steven Wolfe, who is better known by his stage name Johnny Sins and played a service member in one of his many adult films.
Olympic Fail
There was also an embarrassing mix-up at the 2012 Olympics when London organizers mistakenly featured the South Korea flag instead of North Korea when players were about to begin their game against Colombia.
The North Korean team walked off the field and refused to play until the error was fixed.
"Today ahead of the women's football match at Hampden the South Korean flag was shown on a big screen instead of the flag of North Korea," a Locog statement read at the time. "Clearly that is a mistake. We will apologise to the team and the national Olympic committee and steps will be taken to ensure no repeat."
As it concerns Astronomer's future, it's a bad look for the CEO and his chief people officer to get caught in an affair, Jumbotron style, experts say.
"Sure, it was just a kiss cam. But when your CEO is ducking a public embrace with their HR chief, that's not a vibe. It's a red flag," HR consultant Bryan Driscoll told Newsweek.
"This isn't about romance. It's about power, ethics, and brand trust. When leadership plays fast and loose with boundaries, it guts morale and invites scrutiny. In 2025, your values are your executives' behavior. The internet just makes the hypocrisy go viral faster."
Newsweek previously reached out to Byron, Cabot and Astronomer.
What People Are Saying
HR consultant Bryan Driscoll told Newsweek: "Jumbotron scandals aren't common. But maybe they should be because they rip the mask off corporate culture in ten seconds flat."
Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek: "Based on the sheer amount of social media posts it garnered, I think it's going to put other CEOs on notice. While alleged affairs of this nature have been the topic of gossip for decades, we live in a more interconnected and tech-friendly world than ever before. Moments like this can quickly gain traction and be the buzz of millions of people, not just a select few at the office. Whether this has an impact on Astronomer's business remains to be seen, but it's a headline the company, along with many others, don't like seeing."
Michael Ryan, a finance expert and the founder of MichaelRyanMoney.com, told Newsweek: "It's like watching a slow-motion car crash that could've been avoided if someone had just taught executives about stadium cameras 101."
"When Andy Byron got caught on that jumbotron with his HR chief at the Coldplay concert, it was a $1.8 billion wake-up call, because that's the average shareholder value companies lose when CEOs get the boot unexpectedly. And let me tell you, there's nothing planned about getting busted on live TV while Chris Martin's serenading 50,000 people."
What Happens Next
Ryan said the full ramifications of the Astronomer CEO affair Jumbotron event are unclear, but there could be rippling effects on the company.
"It's all about what it says about leadership, judgment, and company culture. When your CEO and HR chief are the ones making headlines for questionable behavior, employees start wondering what else is going on behind closed doors," Ryan said.
"The thing is, smart companies see this stuff coming. They invest in succession planning, they have ethics training that actually means something, and they create cultures where this kind of drama doesn't happen in the first place. Literally, HR's job."
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