Ahead of the weekend, the United States was pumped to witness the glorious 8:30 pm tipoff at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indiana, as Game 4 of the NBA Finals pit the Indiana Pacers against the Oklahoma City Thunder for Friday’s epic basketball showdown. American viewers tuned into the high-stakes matchup only to be interrupted mid-way by a “creepy” glitch that sent shivers down the internet’s spine.
| Site | Subscription Price | Supported Countries |
|---|---|---|
| FuboTV | 5-day free trial, $10–$90/month | USA, Canada, Spain |
| ESPN+ | $11.99/month | USA |
| Fanatiz | €6.99–€10.99/month | Worldwide |
| StreamLocator | 7-day free trial, no credit card required! $9.90/month | Worldwide |
“Friday the 13th” hashtag was already trending on social media due to the perceived “unlucky,” ominous superstitions associated with the date. But soon enough, the internet wasn’t the only virtual place raving about the pop culture staple that long been the focus of the long-running slasher film franchise.
Friday the 13th takeover: NBA Finals 2025
June 13’s ongoing NBA Finals 2025 broadcast on ABC is believed to have halted for a commercial break sometime in the middle. Viewers catching the live basketball action were shocked to the core to see a Friday the 13th jump-scare mid-match.
Friday the 13th takeover during NBA finals broadcast?!
| Site | Subscription Price | Supported Countries |
|---|---|---|
| FuboTV | 5-day free trial, $10–$90/month | USA, Canada, Spain |
| ESPN+ | $11.99/month | USA |
| Fanatiz | €6.99–€10.99/month | Worldwide |
| StreamLocator | 7-day free trial, no credit card required! $9.90/month | Worldwide |
Anyone else notice this? #NBAFinals2025 pic.twitter.com/f2gl5PeXJ6
— The Sports Catch (@TheSportsCatch) June 14, 2025
Shortly after that, the Elon Musk-led microblogging platform X started raging with prompts like “Who saw the Friday the 13th graphic??” as crazed fear shrouded those watching the NBA Finals. While the comments box of the NBA livestream on YouTube was primarily brimming with athletic excitement, others on X couldn’t shake off the feeling of someone potentially hacking the broadcast to plaster the spooky message on their TV screens.
NBA Finals 2025 ‘hacked’ or just clever marketing?
“Y’all gonna act like y’all didn’t see that Friday the 13th glitch during the NBA Finals 2025,” someone questioned those acting as if nothing had happened. Another person tweeted mid-game, “Did anyone else see the #NBAFinals2025 broadcast hacked with a Friday the 13th message? (crying emoji).”
| Site | Subscription Price | Supported Countries |
|---|---|---|
| FuboTV | 5-day free trial, $10–$90/month | USA, Canada, Spain |
| ESPN+ | $11.99/month | USA |
| Fanatiz | €6.99–€10.99/month | Worldwide |
| StreamLocator | 7-day free trial, no credit card required! $9.90/month | Worldwide |
More comments like “Who else’s tv just glitched” emerged on the platform as some even plugged screen-grabbed video clips of the eerie intervention. “DID ANYONE ELSE JUST SEE THAT SCREEN GLITCH? #NBAFinals 2025. And then it randomly had like a bloody Friday the 13th….” chimed in another user who had tuned in for the big basketball game.
Meanwhile, some even weighed in on the possibility of it being a strategically placed ploy during the game to get the people talking. Others seemed either genuinely scared of what was unfolding on their TV screens, or mindfully did their bit in playing along with it.
ABC, what just happened? That was strange. #NBAFinals2025 pic.twitter.com/RZgsaFARJs
— Tyler Bednar (@tylerbednar222) June 14, 2025
