Even though the Boston Red Sox won't take the field at Fenway Park for another few months, some eagle-eyed fans noticed a change above the Green Monster scoreboard as we get closer to the Winter Meetings.
Red Sox fan podcast "Pod on Lansdowne" posted a picture on Twitter of a Fenway Park billboard with a Palantir logo emblazoned on it. The picture, courtesy of user NolanMH34, quickly gained traction with other Sox fans who were shocked to see such a controversial company promoted at their home ballpark.
Many Red Sox fans expressed their outrage about what seemed to be a new partnership. Some reached out to Red Sox fan services and received similar responses saying that Palantir was a partner of the United States Coast Guard Academy, which played the Secretaries' Cup football game against the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Fenway on Nov. 15.
Fan services clarified that Palantir is not a sponsor of the Red Sox. Still, fans aren't happy that Fenway Sports Group would associate itself with such a company in any way, especially given its recent work with the United States government.
Red Sox fan services clarifies that the team is not sponsored by Palantir after widespread outrage
Palantir specializes in software platforms for data analysis, which sounds relatively harmless on its own. The company was founded in part by Peter Thiel, a multi-billionaire who has openly expressed his distaste for democracy and has deep connections in the Donald Trump administration (subscription required).
Palantir has long contracted with the U.S. federal government, as well as state and local governments. The company has recently come under fire for its assistance in expanding government surveillance using AI and facial recognition technology, which has aided the Trump administration in its illegal mass deportation efforts.
Palantir's relationship with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) predates both Trump administrations, as do its human rights abuses. Red Sox fans were right to express their disapproval of any potential partnership between the team and Palantir and it's a relief to hear that the sponsorship was just for one game. But the fact that FSG entertained such an advertisement in the first place is troubling to some.
ICE has racially profiled people, including U.S. citizens, to carry out Trump's deportation agenda. Any endorsement of that in any way, for any amount of time, is a stain on FSG's image. Thankfully, the Red Sox as a team aren't associated with Palantir, but the actions of their parent company still come too close.