Netflix’s live, high-risk skyscraper climb at Taipei 101 postponed by a day due to rain

Netflix is pushing deeper into live programming with what may be its riskiest bet yet: a real-time climb of a 101-story skyscraper in Taipei – without ropes nor a safety net.

Alex Honnold, the famed US free-solo climber, was set to begin ascending the exterior of Taipei 101 – 508 metres of glass and steel – at 9am local time on Jan 24 in a global live stream that Netflix hopes will draw millions of viewers.

But rain has forced a postponement of the event by 24 hours, Netflix said in a statement, adding safety remains its top priority.

Fans who had gathered to watch the event on site dispersed while camera crews packed up. There is a chance of rain overnight and on the morning of Jan 25 in Taipei, according to Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration.

If the event goes ahead and is successful, it would mark a sharp turn not only for Honnold, but also for Netflix and for climbing itself: a shift from remote cliffs and slickly edited documentaries to real-time, mass-audience spectacle.

Honnold’s resume is already legendary. He became a household name after his rope-free climb of Yosemite’s El Capitan, captured in the Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest natural rock climbers of his generation.

Despite decades of record-setting ascents, this would be his first skyscraper climb – and the first time one of his feats would unfold live before spectators both on the ground and on a streaming platform.

“I think the thing that’s most uncertain to me is the psychological state – how’s it going to feel?” Honnold, 40, said a month before the event. “I’ve never climbed a skyscraper before.”

Publicity surrounding the climb has been a high-profile soft power win for Taiwan. The chip-making powerhouse is in a decades-old battle for legitimacy and international visibility against China, which regularly tries to isolate Taiwan diplomatically. Beijing views the island as a part of its territory, a claim the democratically elected government in Taipei rejects. 

‘Mental challenge’

Taipei 101, which was the world’s tallest building when it opened in 2004, has been climbed before.

Urban climbing legend Alain Robert, the French climber known as “Spider-Man,” scaled the tower in 2004 using ropes, taking more than four hours.

Robert also holds records for climbing landmarks including Dubai’s Burj Khalifa.

But Honnold’s attempt – ropeless and broadcast live – raises the stakes dramatically.

The tower, which houses tenants including Google, McKinsey and the Taiwan Stock Exchange, features repeating overhanging elements known as “bamboo boxes,” designed to evoke bamboo stalks.

Honnold has described the uniform structure as a technical and mental challenge, replacing the variability of natural rock with relentless repetition.

The climb comes as part of Netflix’s broader push into live programming, a strategic shift aimed at creating must-see moments that cut through an increasingly crowded on-demand market and support growth in both subscribers and advertising revenue. Over the past year, the company has streamed live sports and entertainment, including WWE and NFL games.

In Asia, Netflix is estimated to have penetration of about 27 per cent. Beginning in March, the platform will exclusively stream World Baseball Classic games in Japan, one of the country’s most anticipated sporting events following Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s World Series victory. BLOOMBERG