Is Alex Honnold's Taipei 101 climb live? Everything you need to know about Netflix's death-defying broadcast

Alex Honnold tries his luck at conquering Taipei 101 on Jan. 23. The climbing legend won’t just be scaling of the tallest skyscrapers in the world — he’ll be doing it live, with a global audience watching on Netflix.

The two-hour broadcast, Skyscraper Live, will stream in real time and document Honnold’s rope-free ascent of the 101-story tower. The climb marks a dramatic shift from the natural rock faces that defined his rise to fame, most notably his historic free solo of El Capitan, captured in the Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo.

Taipei 101 presents a different kind of test. Rather than jagged granite, the building features a series of eight stacked, pagoda-like modules designed to resemble bamboo stalks — architectural elements Honnold calls “bamboo boxes.” Each section spans eight floors and includes a balcony, creating repeated cycles of sustained effort followed by brief relief.

“There really isn’t a single hardest move,” Honnold told Netflix’s Tudum. “The challenge comes from the overall physicality. The fatigue that builds over the course of the building is harder to anticipate.”

Unlike rock walls, the skyscraper is nearly vertical from bottom to top. Buildings, Honnold notes, are steeper than most natural faces, requiring constant tension and precision. While the idea of a live, no-rope climb may sound reckless, Honnold insists it is anything but impulsive.

“There’s a plan, and I’m executing it,” he said.

Known for exhaustive preparation, Honnold free solos only under what he considers perfect conditions — weather, health and total confidence in his movements. Viewers watching live, he says, should focus less on fear and more on the discipline behind the ascent.

Skyscraper Live runs approximately two hours, promising an unfiltered look at endurance, focus and one of the most audacious live sports broadcasts ever attempted.