Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder had fans locked in. The game was intense, but something unexpected stole the spotlight. Just minutes into the match, the live TV broadcast gave viewers a moment they will not forget.
During the first quarter on ESPN¡¯s live feed, the screen suddenly glitched. The video froze for a second. Then, right before cutting out, a creepy ¡°Friday the 13th¡± graphic flashed across the screen. It looked like a horror movie jump scare, and it only lasted a moment before disappearing.
Viewers were quick to react. Social media exploded with posts asking if others saw what they just did. ¡°Was that a Friday the 13th screen during the NBA Finals or am I losing it?¡± one person wrote. Someone else posted a screen recording and said their TV glitched and showed a scary bloody screen.
?The timing of the incident made it even stranger. It was Friday the 13th and many were already joking about the superstitions linked to the date. But this took things to a whole new level. Some called it a real hack. Others thought it was a genius bit of marketing placed perfectly during the broadcast.
Even on YouTube, where fans were watching the livestream, the chat filled with confusion and shock. Meanwhile, over on X, the post from a viewer showing the glitch went viral. However, ABC and ESPN have not said anything about what really happened.
?Whether it was a technical error or something more planned, the creepy message quickly became the most talked about moment of the night. Instead of just the game, people everywhere were asking the same question, what just happened on live TV?