Netflix Appears To Revive Woke Sports By Signing Elle Duncan

Netflix has reportedly selected ESPN anchor Elle Duncan to be the face of its sports division. Duncan is set to depart ESPN later this year and join the streaming service, according to a report from The Athletic. Sources tell OutKick that she will finish out the next month at ESPN.

The hire signals an editorial decision by Netflix to bring a more opinionated voice to it's so far neutral coverage of live sports. Duncan is one of the most politically outspoken figures in sports media. She has frequently challenged ESPN’s informal guidelines on political commentary during broadcasts. Of course, she never faced repercussions for doing so. Somewhere, Sage Steele, Ashley Brewer, and Paul Finebaum sigh.

The general public first learned of Duncan in 2020 through a Wall Street Journal report in which former ESPN anchor Sage Steele claimed Duncan used backstage influence to remove her from a special presentation focused on race, questioning Steele’s "Blackness."

"I found it sad for all of us that any human being should be allowed to define someone’s ‘Blackness.’ Growing up biracial in America with a black father and a white mother, I have felt the inequities that many, if not all black and biracial people have felt, being called a monkey, the ‘n’ word, having ape sounds made as I walked by, words and actions that all of us know sting forever. Most importantly, trying to define who is and isn’t black enough goes against everything we are fighting for in this country, and only creates more of a divide," Steele, who is biracial, told the outlet.

Duncan and colleague Michael Eaves did not refute the claims in their statement to the Journal. "We wish we had more than an hour to include more of the many strong voices we have at ESPN. However, we are hopeful that this doesn’t distract from the important message conveyed that night."

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK - MAY 09: Host Elle Duncan speaks  during the 2024 espnW New York Summit at 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge on May 09, 2024 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images)

With Jemele Hill gone, Bomani Jones’ role diminished, and Maria Taylor on her way out, Duncan likely saw an opportunity to capitalize on Disney’s political and racial double standards during the George Floyd era. From 2020 on, she carried herself as if she were untouchable, as if she played by her own rules, and as if her mostly white bosses feared holding her accountable for the problems she caused.

As a far-left liberal black woman, her calculation was effective. She rode Disney’s increased focus on "racial equity" to a co-anchor role on the flagship 6 p.m. "SportsCenter."

During that same span, few ESPN talents caused management more headaches. Duncan held a moment of silence in protest of the inaccurately labeled "Don’t Say Gay" bill in Florida during ESPN’s coverage of the 2022 NCAA Tournament.

"To be honest with you, we thought we were going to come here today and really celebrate a sport that has meant so much and done so much including for so many in the LGBTQIA+ communities, but we understand the gravity of this legislation," Duncan said. "And because of that, our allyship is going to take a front seat."

Months later, she recorded a social video from the "SportsCenter" set urging "#GirlDads" to advocate for abortion access nationwide after the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson decision.

She also made headlines for discussing black women’s C-section experiences during an NFL debate and for describing Michelle Obama as universally beloved, a view hardly shared by the country at large.

While Duncan’s commentary resonated in media circles, it contributed to the broader perception that ESPN had taken a political stance against half of the country.

Sources inside the network said Tuesday that her departure will not be mourned by colleagues. Unlike high-impact personalities such as Stephen A. Smith or Pat McAfee, Duncan’s contributions were viewed as overshadowed by her controversies. Duncan is talented. She is not Roland Martin. However, her brand of unfiltered activism raises questions about her fit for Netflix’s sports slate, which includes NFL Christmas Day games, the Home Run Derby, and MLB Opening Day.

A better alignment for Duncan might be outlets like Dan Le Batard’s Meadowlark Media, The Ringer, BET, or MS Now, where ideological alignment is a positive. 

Netflix’s choice to elevate Duncan represents a rejection of the "stick to sports" ethos that other networks are taking. Given the audience erosion and commercial underperformance of politicized sports coverage at ESPN, Netflix’s decision the approach is questionable.

Likewise, it would be unwise for any mainstream sports network to make Sage Steele, an outspoken conservative, the face of its coverage.

OutKick reached out to Netflix to ask whether Duncan’s political stances pose risks to the brand's sports coverage. We also asked Duncan whether she plans to address issues like abortion or maternal health during live events. We will update this story if/when we hear back.