A crowd of New Yorkers who had gathered to watch Times Square billboards go dark were disappointed with many saying they did not notice the difference.

Billboards in New York's Times Square were expected to go dark at 9:00 pm on Wednesday (May 27) in support of struggling businesses, however only a few of the many bright billboards actually went dark.

May 27 2020 - MANHATTAN, New York: A large crowd gathered in Times Square to watch the lights go dark at 9pm tonight, as advertised on national news. As the clock switched, the crowd waited expecting for a blackout. However only a few of the many bright billboards actually went dark, and some people were quite disappointed. "It was shit," said one attendee. "It already happened? ...That was a big disappointment," said another.

A coalition of restauranteurs and business owners, along with the Times Square Alliance, hoped to call attention to businesses denied insurance coverage for losses related to the pandemic. The plan was for a one-minute blackout followed by a video where local business leaders and Whoopi Goldberg would call on the federal government to support businesses.
But the drama was lost on those who showed up for a show. Crowds and even journalists were stunned at the lack of payoff after such a buildup.