FACT CHECK: Did the Las Vegas Sphere Show ‘Blue Scree of Death’ During CrowdStrike Outage? [Video]

Did the Sphere in Las Vegas display a “blue screen of death” (BSoD) during the global Windows outages caused by a CrowdStrike software defect on July 19, 2024? On Friday, Crowdstrike, a cybersecurity firm working with Microsoft, released a global software update that had major repercussions.

According to NBC News, the update triggered an IT outage, leading to disruptions in Microsoft systems used by businesses, airlines, and medical facilities worldwide. However, the image circulating on social media that makes this claim is false. It’s a doctored photo and has been spreading online since at least 2023. Also, it incorrectly says the Sphere is in Los Angeles, rather than Las Vegas.

Bizarre Claim

The claim first surfaced in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, on July 19, 2024. The post read: “Los Angeles Sphere …”

The account also incorrectly said that the image displaying the BSoD was of the “Los Angeles …