As Coldplay performs in sports stadiums across the United States, it has leveraged the jumbotron and the iconic “kiss cam” to showcase its audience on the big screen.
It led to one of the most viral moments in recent memory when, during a performance this week at Gillette Stadium outside Boston, home of the New England Patriots, a kiss cam caught now-former Astronomer CEO Andy Byron embracing the company’s chief people officer, Kristin Cabot.
Footage of the pair’s apparent panic and dramatic attempt to dodge the camera became an instant hit on social media, spawning countless memes and making headlines worldwide.
The “kiss cam” is a regular feature at American sports arenas, and teams, their mascots, fans, and even presenters have parodied the now-famous clip.
At Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Friday night, for instance, the mascot for the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team was shown on the jumbotron mimicking the viral incident.
During a break in play between the Phillies and the Los Angeles Angels, a “kiss cam” picked out several couples in the crowd as Coldplay’s “Clocks” played over the sound system.
The camera then turned to the Phillies mascot, Phillies Phanatic, who was caught cuddled up to another mascot wearing a blonde wig. As they spied themselves on the big screen, the Phanatic ducked for cover while his panicked partner hid her face — a near-perfect rendition of the scene at the Coldplay concert earlier in the week.
The Arizona Diamondbacks also joined in the fun on Friday.
The stadium’s “kiss cam” caught team mascot D. Baxter the Bobcat locked in an embrace with a St. Louis Cardinals fan, before the pair also took evasive action.
Posting a clip of the spoof on X, the Diamondbacks wrote: “Ok now listen, are you two a couple? Are you two a legitimate couple?”
It’s not just mascots — fans across the country have also seized the opportunity to reenact the Coldplay concert scene.
Footage posted to social media shows couples at America First Field in Utah and Truist Park in Atlanta showing off their own versions of the moment.
SportsCenter commentators Gary Striewski and Randy Scott also recreated the viral clip.
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During their show’s cold open on Friday, cameras panned to Scott holding Striewski by the waist. Scott drops to the floor, and Striewski covers his face as the camera pans to them.
“It’s time to ‘Kiss It Goodbye,'” Scott says as they move to the next segment of the show. “Baseball’s probably not the only thing you can say that about.”
The jokes were also flying at Busch Stadium in Missouri, where two popular exhibition baseball teams — The Savannah Bananas and The Party Animals — competed this week.
A video shared by the Savannah Bananas on Saturday showed people reenacting the Coldplay “kiss cam” moment on the stadium’s jumbotron.
At one point, the camera panned to The Party Animals mascot, Pharty, warmly embracing Princess Potassia, the mascot for the Savannah Bananas. The two costumed characters quickly ducked out of the way, eliciting cheers and laughter from the crowd.
Astronomer, the New York-based tech company where Byron worked, announced on Friday that the CEO had been placed on leave and that it had started a formal investigation into the incident. In an update Saturday, the firm said Byron had resigned from his position as CEO.
In a statement shared on X, the tech company said its leaders were “expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability.”
“And recently, that standard was not met,” it added.
