Graham Platner's Senate Ad Pulled by Red Sox TV Network

Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner aired a 15‑second commercial during a Boston Red Sox game on May 22 on the New England Sports Network (NESN), accusing the team's owners of letting private‑equity firms “destroy our favorite baseball team.” The ad quoted, “Private equity has destroyed our favorite baseball team… I miss Mookie Betts,” and pledged to “reverse the private‑equity curse.”

Midway through the broadcast, NESN removed the spot, stating the creative used unauthorized third‑party intellectual property and violated its advertising standards. The network is partly owned by Fenway Sports Group, which in 2021 sold an 11 percent stake to New York‑based private‑equity firm RedBird Capital.

Platner, a Marine‑Corps veteran and oyster farmer, is the presumptive Democratic nominee for Maine’s Senate race against incumbent Republican Susan Collins, a contest that could influence Senate control. His campaign has faced scrutiny over past social‑media posts, including an inflammatory tattoo that referenced a Nazi symbol, which he says he covered up after learning its meaning.