Netflix has delayed the live broadcast of an American rock climber ascending the Taipei 101 skyscraper due to adverse weather conditions. Alex Honnold, renowned for his daring feats on sheer rock surfaces, was scheduled to scale the 1,667ft tower in Taiwan without a safety rope. However, the risky endeavor was postponed at the last minute.
The 40-year-old thrill-seeker was supposed to begin the climb in Asia at 9 am local time, equivalent to 1 am on Saturday morning in the UK. Just half an hour before the high-stakes ascent was set to be televised, Netflix announced a delay due to rainy weather.
Honnold is now expected to undertake the challenging task a day later, on Sunday morning in the UK, in hopes of clearer weather conditions. The current drizzle has made surfaces slippery, amplifying the already extreme risks associated with the climb.
Netflix stated that the decision to proceed would rest with Honnold, given the life-threatening nature of the event. The streaming service revealed, “Skyscraper Live was initially planned for January 23 but has been postponed due to weather conditions, now rescheduled for Saturday, January 24 at 8 PM ET / 5 PM PT.”
The live broadcast of the event is anticipated to last two hours, with a brief 10-second delay for viewers in case of any incidents involving Honnold.
Honnold has acknowledged the dangers of his mission, expressing concerns about the impact his death would have on his two young daughters. He is a father to June, born in 2022, and Alice, who is one year old.
Discussing the potential aftermath, he mentioned, “Baby Alice wouldn’t remember. Baby June probably wouldn’t remember. She’ll be 4 in another month. It’d be felt, and obviously it’d be super hard for [wife] Sanni, but they’d be well provided for. I don’t feel like I’d be leaving them in the lurch. They wouldn’t even necessarily be traumatized their whole lives.”
While the spectacle has garnered criticism from some, including a Wall Street Journal columnist who condemned it as “voyeuristic, ghoulish, and irresponsible,” the climb is awaited with anticipation by many.