The Empire State Building did it again.
New York’s most famous skyscraper was lit up in New England Patriots colors on Sunday night to commemorate the Pats’ latest AFC championship.
“Santa Clara bound!” read a post on the Empire State Building’s official X account after the Patriots’ 10-7 win over the Denver Broncos, referring to the site of next month’s Super Bowl.
“Shining in @Patriots colors in honor of their AFC Championship win.”
Seeing the iconic edifice lit up in the rival Patriots’ red, white and blue nauseated New Yorkers, and particularly Jets fans, who were tormented by New England’s dominance during the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick era and now must brace for Drake Maye’s first trip to the Super Bowl.
“You really need to terminate this contract with the NFL,” wrote one X user, before naming the Jets and Giants’ owners. “The Johnson’s and Mara’s can’t just pay you to NOT [light] up in rival colors? They I am sure can match whatever the NFL is paying you.”
Another declared it “disgraceful.”
Charles Robinson, an NFL writer for Yahoo, also weighed in, writing, “New Yorkers would rather see King Kong on the Empire State Building.”
Santa Clara bound!⁰Shining in @Patriots colors in honor of their AFC Championship win. pic.twitter.com/Fkhw1HSxo3
— Empire State Building (@EmpireStateBldg) January 25, 2026
Sunday marked the latest edition of this recurring controversy, as for years, the Empire State Building has donned the colors of the winning teams during the NFL’s championship weekend and Super Bowl.
In 2023, Mayor Adams referred to lighting the Empire State Building in a rival’s colors as “unacceptable” but said he was not in charge of it.
It was most recently an issue last February after the Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl, which prompted the building to light up in green and white.
But at least that time, the Empire State Building’s special media team acknowledged the awkwardness of displaying the colors of the Giants’ hated rival.
“I’m going to be sick,” read an X post at the time. “Shining in @Eagles colors for the rest of the evening.”
On Sunday, the Patriots’ colors were eventually replaced by green and blue to celebrate the Seattle Seahawks’ NFC championship.
The Patriots and Seahawks are set to face each other in Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium on Feb. 8.
