BREAKING: Netflix is taking live TV to the edge tonight. Skyscraper Live is officially a go, after last night’s rain delay. Free solo legend Alex Honnold will try to scale Taipei 101, all 1,667 feet, without ropes or nets. It is his first climb of a man-made tower, and Netflix’s boldest live spectacle yet.
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What’s Happening and When
Tonight, Saturday, Jan 24, the two hour special streams at 8 p.m. ET, 5 p.m. PT. We have confirmed a 10 second delay in the broadcast, active weather calls, and a hard rule to pause if winds spike or rain returns. This is real risk, packaged with precision.
- Start time: 8 p.m. ET, 5 p.m. PT on Netflix
- Location: Taipei 101, the 101 story icon in Taiwan
- Format: Multi angle coverage with drones and fixed rigs
- Delay: 10 seconds, with authority to cut or hold if safety flags rise
Open Netflix early, update your app, and enable notifications. The window to start is tight if weather shifts.
The High Wire Experiment
Netflix is treating this like a moon landing, only vertical. The control room is stacked. A weather desk watches wind gusts in real time. Producers hold crew consent protocols, so no one is forced to roll if conditions turn. The 10 second delay is the last line, not the first. It is there to protect dignity if the worst happens, and to give directors space to switch away.
The on air team blends sport, science, and spectacle. Elle Duncan sets the tone. Climber Emily Harrington will break down Honnold’s choices hold by hold. Engineer Mark Rober translates forces and friction in plain English. WWE champion Seth Rollins brings the mainstream and the showmanship. Climbing voice Pete Woods guides the flow when silence says more than sound.
This is how you turn danger into prime time. You do not fake the risk. You frame it with reason. You let experts narrate focus and fear, then step back when the wall demands quiet.
The Tower That Fights Back
Taipei 101 is not a smooth ladder. The “bamboo box” segments are the nightmare. They are eight floor overhangs that push outward, like stacked drawers. On rock, overhangs are brutal. On glass and steel, they are a riddle. Holds are shallow. Edges are sharp. The wind builds as you rise.
Honnold is built for this. He routes with his eyes before he lifts a hand. He treats movement like chess. But this is a city skin, not granite. Heat from the facade can slick chalk. Even a small gust can turn a perfect reach into a desperate one. This is why the broadcast has a weather stop ready. That is not drama. That is the plan.
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Stars, Fans, and the Line Between Awe and Alarm
Make no mistake, this is a television event. Watch parties are booked from Los Angeles rooftops to Taipei hotel bars. Rollins pulls in wrestling loyalists who love a big stage. Rober brings curious minds who want to know how a hand can hold a hundred pounds of force. Harrington brings the climbing community that knows the cost of a mistake. Honnold brings everyone else, because he does the impossible without a cape.
There is also a real debate here. Should a streamer air a climb that could end a life in real time. We put that question to the production team. Their answer is in the setup, not a slogan. Delay the show for rain. Cut the feed if safety crosses a line. Give experts the mic. Never force the moment. Most of all, respect the athlete’s consent and control.
This is where culture sits tonight. We want to look away. We also want to watch a person test the top of human skill. That tension is why live television still matters.
Viewer discretion is advised. This special depicts real danger and may be distressing.
If Weather Moves, So Will the Show
Taipei can be moody after dark. If gusts climb or showers spark, expect a hold. The window can shift inside the two hour block. That is not a gimmick. It is the difference between a smart spectacle and a reckless one. Netflix is ready to push to a later minute, or even call for another date, if Honnold or the safety team says so.
The Bottom Line
Tonight is not just a stunt. It is a test of live storytelling in the streaming era. It is also a test of one man’s focus against a megastructure. We will be watching the holds, the heartbeats, and the hard choices in the truck. If it goes, it could be one of the most gripping two hours you have ever seen. If it pauses, that will be the right call. Either way, Skyscraper Live has already changed what a platform can attempt, and how far entertainment will go to meet the moment.
