ESPN’s Elle Duncan has officially confirmed her move to Netflix.
Duncan announced her new gig via Instagram on Thursday, December 18, nearly one month after The Athletic reported that she was tapped to become the streamer’s first-ever sports anchor.
“For those asking where I’m going..TUDUM,” Duncan captioned screenshots of a Variety article about the role on Thursday, December 18. “Netflix is investing in sports and live events in a way that feels ambitious, creative, and expansive — and I’m grateful for the opportunity to grow with it, stretch into new storytelling spaces, and help bring big moments to even bigger stages.”
She continued, “I am, quite literally, at a loss for words for this life I’ve been blessed to create. I take none of it for granted.”
Multiple outlets reported that Duncan has signed a multi-year deal with Netflix and will kick off her hosting duties in early 2026 with Skyscraper Live. The special will see free solo climber Alex Honnold attempt to scale the tallest building in Taiwan, Taipei 101.
“Joining Netflix feels like being invited to an already legendary party and somehow getting handed the aux cord!” Duncan said in a press statement. “For a lifelong utility player, a multisport assignment is a full-circle moment, and being trusted with something this one-of-a-kind feels incredibly special and surreal. I’m bringing boundless energy, storytelling, and bad puns no one asked for but will be subjected to anyway.”
She went on to joke, “Also, I was told this fast-tracks my kids to meeting the KPop Demon Hunters, soooo…win-win.”
Scroll down to get to know Duncan ahead of her Netflix debut.
How did Elle Duncan get her career start?
The Georgia native began her broadcasting career as an entertainment reporter for the Atlanta radio station 790 the Zone in 2003, per Duncan’s ESPN bio. In 2005, she began her seven-year role as an on-air personality with the Atlanta hip-hop station V10, in addition to cohosting football shows for the Atlanta Falcons Radio Network from 2010 to 2011.
Duncan followed up her work with the Falcons by serving as an anchor and reporter for the New England Sports Network in Boston for two years. Her other career credits include working as an on-air and radio personality for the Atlanta NBC affiliate WXIA-TV, working as a sideline reporter for the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, and working as a field reporter for Comcast Sports South on SEC and ACC football.
Omar Abdul Ali and Elle Duncan (Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Connecticut Children’s Hospital Foundation)
How long has Elle Duncan worked for ESPN?
Duncan joined ESPN as an anchor for SportsCenter in 2016 and moved to the show’s 6 p.m. time slot with Kevin Negandhi in 2021. She also hosts her own self-titled YouTube series, The Elle Duncan Show, on which she discusses the biggest sports and pop culture news.
Duncan is also known as one of ESPN’s most prominent WNBA hosting personalities, along with Malika Andrews, Chiney Ogwumike, Andraya Carter, Monica McNutt, Carolyn Peck, Christine Williamson, and more.
What other TV shows has Elle Duncan appeared on?
Duncan has shown up on a handful of non-ESPN shows over the years, including appearing on Good Morning America and filling in for Kelly Ripa as Mark Consuelos‘ cohost on an August episode of Live With Kelly and Mark.
Is Elle Duncan in a relationship?
Duncan is in a relationship, as she has been married to her husband, Omar Abdul Ali, since 2016. The couple welcomed their daughter, Eva, in 2018, and their son, Xander, in 2020.
“I believe that the most important decision you’ll make in your life is who you have children with. Marriages end every day but who you go half on a kid with is permanent. It’s foundational,” Duncan wrote in an Instagram Father’s Day tribute to Ali in June.
She continued, “The father of your children isn’t just your partner—he’s their first example. Of how to lead, how to listen, how to love. Kids mirror what they see. Their worldview, their sense of safety, their moral compass—it all starts at home. A good dad sets the baseline for how they’ll navigate life, how they’ll treat others, and how they’ll expect to be treated in return.”
Duncan concluded her post by thanking her mother for setting the “blueprint” of what she should look for in her partner. “When it came time for me to build my own life and family, I knew exactly what to look for,” she gushed.
This story originally appeared on TV Insider
