Most folks can relate to Elle Duncan’s resolution to hitch Netflix.
After practically 10 years at ESPN, Duncan was in search of a brand new problem that may showcase her versatility as a broadcaster whereas additionally looking for extra of a work-life stability.
Duncan believes that may occur by becoming a member of the streaming big. She made her Netflix debut on Friday night time, internet hosting Skyscraper Live. The two-hour occasion, which begins at 8 p.m. Eastern, options free solo climber Alex Honnold try and scale Taipei 101, the tallest constructing in Taiwan, with out ropes.
“It was everything I had been asking in the universe to help me be a well-rounded broadcaster and to help me be a well-rounded person. I think I’m going to be able to do both of those things here,” Duncan mentioned earlier than leaving for Taiwan.
Duncan left ESPN in December. She joined the community in 2016 and rose to internet hosting the 6 p.m. Eastern version of “SportsCenter,” in addition to internet hosting protecting of the ladies’s NCAA Basketball Tournament and WNBA.
Duncan mentioned that the time at ESPN taught her the worth of the right way to work and collaborate as a gaggle whereas studying what it took to placed on a terrific program. It additionally helps that Kate Jackson, Netflix’s director of dwell sports activities, was certainly one of Duncan’s producers at ESPN.
“When they came to pitch me, they knew exactly who they were getting, bad dad jokes and all. And that’s exactly who they want me to be at Netflix as well,” Duncan mentioned. “They want me to bring what they bring, which is the sports, the entertainment and storytelling parts. All of it. So they know who I am, they know what they’re getting and they encourage and want that.”
Anchoring protection of a high-stakes climb up one of many world’s tallest buildings is totally different in comparison with previewing this weekend’s NFL convention championship video games. But it’s one thing that Duncan welcomes taking over.
Skyscraper Live may even embrace climbing consultants Emily Harrington and Pete Woods, former NASA engineer Mark Rober and WWE celebrity Seth Rollins.
“Skyscraper is different because it is based around storytelling. It’s based around watching someone do something that seems, let’s be real to the layman, crazy and trying to contextualize why someone would do this,” Duncan mentioned. “So making an attempt to essentially construct that up, the theater, the drama, the leisure, whereas additionally recognizing the tone, I feel that’s what’s going to be fascinating.
“Certainly injury is always up for grabs when it comes to sports, but I don’t think anyone goes into a game that they’re about to cover and goes, ‘what really happens if someone dies here?’ This is actual life or death. And so the stakes are much higher, and so while I’m still going to be me, I’m recognizing the room and the tone and the situation that we’re in. It’s going to be definitely a different muscle, but ultimately I’m going to lean into the same things that I did at ESPN that I hope made me a really good host to work with, which is just putting my team exactly where they need to be to make it a success.”
Netflix can have a built-in, 10-second delay on the printed in case one thing occurs.
Duncan additionally has the background to host most issues on Netflix, whether or not it’s sports activities or actuality TV reveals. Her broadcast profession started as an leisure reporter on a Atlanta sports activities radio station in 2003 earlier than internet hosting a day program on an Atlanta hip-hop station for seven years,
After doing sideline TV work for the Atlanta Hawks, SEC and ACC soccer, Duncan turned a sports activities anchor and reporter at Atlanta’s NBC affiliate in 2012 earlier than becoming a member of the NESN regional sports activities community in Boston in 2014.
Duncan may even be on the forefront as Netflix continues to broaden its sports activities portfolio. Besides the NFL Christmas Day doubleheader, it should start doing Major League Baseball video games this season. The streamer’s first recreation will probably be on March 25 when the San Francisco Giants host the New York Yankees within the opening matchup of the season.
Netflix may even have the Home Run Derby and Field of Dreams recreation.
Duncan additionally is not saying goodbye to the WNBA. USA Network introduced on Thursday that Duncan would be the lead studio host.
“I’ve actually labored for 20-plus years to be as versatile as broadcaster as I might be. I need to be the lady you could placed on any desk, on a live performance stage doing standup, no matter. But I obtained so far in my life the place I mentioned, ‘I’m a very versatile broadcaster, however am I a very versatile individual?’ Am I the mother and the spouse and the good friend that I need to be on high of being a very nice broadcaster and I wasn’t feeling like I used to be a well-rounded individual. I felt like I used to be solely a well-rounded broadcaster.
“I felt like this was the most unique opportunity of my life to stay involved in major event-based things, to have so much white space ahead of me to really create a role for myself, to have autonomy over my schedule and to also be around right now when my kids (7-year old Eva and 5-year old Xander) still want their mom.”
© Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This materials is probably not revealed, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed with out permission.