Professional climber Alex Honnold is set to capture global attention as he prepares for a daring free solo climb of Taipei 101, one of Asia’s tallest skyscrapers. This once-in-a-lifetime experience will be streamed live across the world on Skyscraper Live, Netflix’s first foray into the phenomenon that is live sports programming. The live stream starts Saturday at 9 a.m. local time in Taipei. This two hour event will be on the cutting edge of adventure sports, inspiring conversation about safety and risk management.
Honnold for the last three months has been training specifically for this monumental ascent. His preparation hasn’t just lied in weeks and months of visualization techniques and self-talk strategies to make sure he’s mentally there. Concerned urban observers have already spotted him doing rope-assisted test runs on Taipei 101. He is learning the peculiar intricacies of the building’s idiosyncratic form and the limitations it poses.
“You walk up to the base, you hop on to the building, you climb all the way to the top,” – Alex Honnold
At the other end of the skyline, Taipei 101 rises to a height of 508 meters (1,667 feet). It represents an extraordinary risk, even for master climber Honnold. The climb will be livecast, but with a viewer-discretion warning. It will air on a 10-second delay to mitigate any risks that could occur during the live performance itself. Even on the climb, Honnold is in direct communication with his camera crew and producers. This central connection greatly improves safety for his bold project.
An in-person audience in Taipei will also be invited to watch. At the same time, an on-air roundtable will provide context to Honnold’s attempt. The slate of all-star climbers, an ex-ESPN sportscaster, professional wrestling champion, and NASA engineer-turned-YouTuber. This diverse ensemble hopes to tackle the bravado, stupidity and seduction of pursuit of extreme climbs.
“Here are the dangers. Let the audience know this is not 100% foolproof.” – Richard Deitsch
As anticipation builds toward the climb, thousands of others have already made a wager on Honnold’s outcome. Over on Polymarket, they’re betting against his eventual completion time. The stakes couldn’t be higher. Hundreds of thousands of you are eager to see if he succeeds in completing this incredible stunt with no ropes or safety equipment.
“No ropes. No gear. No margin of error.” – Alex Honnold
Experts who’ve closely followed Honnold’s career since the beginning convey almost any amount of confidence, from quiet to loud. Alain Robert, renowned for his own high-profile climbs, stated, “He has already planned his limits. There is not even a one-in-100-million chance that this will be his last climb.” Dr. Jamie Shapiro echoed this sentiment, emphasizing Honnold’s experience: “You can trust your training and your competence. He has enough experience to stay composed if something unexpected happens.”
With the event fast approaching, anticipation has turned to nervousness for fans and analysts as well. The combination of extreme sports and live television adds an unpredictable element that has not been seen before in the world of climbing. Viewers are invited to bear witness as participants—not just observers—in a high-stakes survival of human endurance.
Skyscraper Live is an innovative use of technology and entertainment. Today audiences want immersive experiences that transport them from their everyday life into another world filled with adventure. Richard Deitsch pointed out that networks are increasingly looking for unique one-off events rather than traditional programming formats: “They’re looking for one-offs rather than large inventories.”