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In a major development, Netflix is reportedly bringing aboard Elle Duncan, a seasoned ESPN anchor, to lead its rapidly growing sports segment. This news was revealed in a recent report that is making waves across the sports media landscape.
At 42, Duncan is a familiar face on ESPN, co-hosting SportsCenter and spearheading the network’s WNBA coverage. However, with this potential new opportunity, her future at ESPN now seems uncertain.
Andrew Marchand of The Athletic reports that Duncan is poised to strike a significant deal with Netflix, which is actively expanding its live sports offerings. While the agreement is yet to be finalized, it is anticipated that Duncan will prioritize Netflix, even as she might continue to appear on other networks.
Insiders suggest that the likelihood of Duncan remaining with ESPN appears slim. Nonetheless, conversations are reportedly underway to explore the possibility of her maintaining involvement in women’s basketball, a sport that Netflix currently does not broadcast.
Sources claim there is pessimism that Duncan will continue with ESPN, while it is understood discussions have been held over her keeping a role in women’s basketball – which Netflix does not currently carry.
The streaming giant is continuing to improve its live sporting coverage, which began with golf’s Netflix Cup in November 2023 and has expanded since.
Elle Duncan is set to become the face of Netflix’s sports coverage after 10 years at ESPN
Duncan is well-known for regularly fronting the network’s coverage of women’s basketball
In January, it began a 10-year, $5billion deal to exclusively stream WWE’s Monday Night Raw, and next month Anthony Joshua will fight Jake Paul in a blockbuster boxing event live from Miami.
Netflix also holds the rights to show two NFL games on Christmas Day each year, and beginning in 2026 it will show MLB’s Opening Night game – starting with the Yankees at the San Francisco Giants.
It also has the US rights to the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2027 and 2031.
Duncan, meanwhile, would be likely to host all of the network’s ‘marquee’ sporting events, while also moving away from a hectic daily ESPN schedule.
The Atlanta native began her career in sports talk radio, contributing with on-site reporting at the NFL’s Falcons and NBA’s Hawks.
She then moved on to NESN in 2014, before joining ESPN in 2016 as an anchor, reporter and host. Duncan currently hosts the 6pm Sportscenter with Kevin Negandhi.
Earlier this year, Duncan went viral for a steamy on-air joke she made during the WNBA All-Star Game.
Duncan was on the ESPN desk at halftime of the contest, with the score at 80-62 highlighting the severe lack of defense.
Duncan is yet to put pen to paper with the streaming giants but a deal is reportedly close
Gabe Spitzer is one of the Netflix executives tasked with expanding the sports division
So Duncan decided to crack a lighthearted joke: ‘We hope it gets a little bit more competitive, because like a girls trip to Cancun, right now, there’s no D.’
A few days later, she appeared on The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, refusing to apologize in the face of criticism.
‘My thing with the Cancun joke is, I feel like whenever I say something, it’s like sometimes a reintroduction for some people who clearly don’t know me or my work over the last 10 years,’ Duncan said.
‘I’m like, ‘bro, I said on air one time that if you celebrate too early, it’s called premature I’m-Jacked-Elation.’ Like I can’t actually imagine this is worse than that.
‘Like I feel like I constantly have to remind people, I have been saying things like this for the 10 years I have been at ESPN.
‘So I thought it was silly. I thought it was funny. Some people disagree. Some people definitely agree. But it is what it is. Like, yes, girls say crude jokes too.’