A week after Coldplay’s notorious kiss-cam moment went viral, the band’s music has seen a major boost—streams surged by 25%.
The awkward encounter played out during Coldplay’s July 16 show in Boston, where CEO Andy Byron and Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot of the company Astronomer were unexpectedly featured on the stadium’s kiss-cam. Byron quickly darted out of frame while Cabot turned and covered her face. At the time, lead singer Chris Martin quipped: “Uh oh… Either they’re having an affair, or they’re just very shy.”
Despite their marital statuses with other people, the footage ignited global attention. According to Billboard citing Luminate data, Coldplay’s on-demand audio streams jumped from 28.7 million in the five days before the concert to 35.7 million in the five days after the incident—an impressive 25% surge.
In the fallout, Byron stepped down as CEO of Astronomer. The company, in a statement, affirmed its commitment to its foundational values: “Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met.”
The statement continued, “Andy Byron has tendered his resignation, and the Board of Directors has accepted. A search for the next Chief Executive will begin, while Co-founder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy serves as interim CEO.”
Meanwhile, Coldplay finds themselves riding the wave of unexpected publicity as the fallout from an awkward moment translates directly into chart success.