Elle Duncan went out with a heartfelt sendoff Tuesday, closing the chapter on a decade-long career at ESPN before moving to Netflix’s expanding sports operations. During her final SportsCenter broadcast, Duncan addressed critics of the network in her final sendoff.
Defending the behind-the-scenes workforce that she says forms the true “heartbeat” of the company.
“I see the headlines. Some are earned. Some, I believe are not,” Duncan said. “And anyone in this chair knows that criticism is just part of the job, and you take it. But the faces of this place are not the soul of this place. The soul is the thousands of people who work here. No spotlight, and still all the scrutiny.”
ESPN has not been immune from scrutiny over Duncan’s tenure at the network. Allegations of political bias, conflict of interest, and programming decisions, among other criticisms have been ever present. Duncan, however, urged viewers to recognize the work of editors, producers, directors, and other staff whose efforts largely go unnoticed by the public.
From covering College GameDay to the WNBA Finals, Duncan said the faces viewers see on-air represent only a fraction of the organization.
“People from every background, with every kind of belief, and from every zip code. There is no hidden agenda here, folks. Just the kind that many of you have there at home. To put food on the table, maybe to send your kids to college, do some work that matters. Build a life,” she said.
Duncan has anchored ESPN’s 6pm ET edition of SportsCenter for the past five years. She has emerged as one of the network’s most prominent and versatile voices. In addition to her nightly anchor duties, she’s become a central figure in ESPN’s women’s basketball coverage.
Duncan’s role at Netflix may extend beyond sports. She is expected to have opportunities to work on non-sports content. That fits Netflix’s strategy of elevating recognizable broadcast personalities across multiple verticals.
Toward the end of her farewell, Duncan expressed gratitude to colleagues and peers who helped shape her decade at the network.
“Thank you for the hallway smiles, for the late nights researching, for the very early mornings. For saying my name in rooms that I was not in. Trusting me to toe the line and knowing when not to. For pushing me, holding me accountable, making this place feel as close to home as not-home can be. You made this last decade a gift,” she said.
Christine Williamson is set to take over Duncan’s position on the 6 PM ET SportsCenter, as well as her role as host of the women’s basketball version of College GameDay. Williamson — who originally joined ESPN in 2019 — will begin hosting SportsCenter alongside Kevin Negandhi in January.
Currently, Williamson works as an anchor of the Noon and 2 PM ET editions of SportsCenter. Duncan’s final SportsCenter broadcast is reportedly set for Tuesday, December 16th.
Malika Andrews is reportedly set to replace Duncan on ESPN’s WNBA host.
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