Alex Honnold's ‘no-rope' Taipei 101 climb postponed – Why did Netflix reschedule Skyscraper LIVE? When will it air?

Professional rock climber Alex Honnold's most-awaited climb to Taipei 101 without ropes or protective equipment has been postponed. The high-risk endeavour was to be broadcast live by Netflix on Friday evening for viewers in the US, but the streaming giant said that the Skyscraper LIVE is being rescheduled.

Why was Skyscraper LIVE postponed? When will it air?

In a social media post, Netflix said the Skyscraper LIVE event was being rescheduled “due to weather” without elaborating on it. “Due to weather, we are unable to proceed with today’s #SkyscraperLIVE event,” Netflix said.

It will now air later on Saturday evening at 8 PM ET (Sunday, 6:30 AM IST).

“It has been rescheduled for Saturday, January 24 at 8 PM ET | 5 PM PT. Safety remains our top priority, and we appreciate your understanding,” it added.

The broadcast will be on a 10-second delay.

James Smith, an executive with event producer Plimsoll Productions, previously said that Honnold won’t climb if the weather conditions are bad, noting that there was a small chance of light rain in the morning.

James also shared that there will be cameramen positioned inside the building, various hatches and places to bail during the climb and four high-angle camera operators suspended on ropes.

Taipei 101 climb & challenges

Towering high above Taiwan’s capital city at 1,667 feet (508 meters), Taipei 101, the earthquake-proof skyscraper of steel and glass, dominates the skyline.

The building has 101 floors, with the hardest part being the 64 floors comprising the middle section — the “bamboo boxes” that give the building its signature look.

Divided into eight segments, each segment will have eight floors of steep, overhanging climbing, followed by a balcony that Honnold would be able to rest on.

Who is Alex Honnold?

Alex Honnold is a professional rock climber known for his legendary ropeless ascent up Yosemite National Park’s El Capitan, documented in “Free Solo”.

“When you look at climbing objectives, you look for things that are singular,” Honnold told The Associated Press late last year. “Something like El Capitan where it’s way bigger and way prouder than all the things around it.”

Honnold, who has been training for months, doesn't think his climb will be hard. He’s practised the moves on the building and spoke about it on a climbing podcast.

“I don’t think it’ll be that extreme,” Honnold said. “We’ll see. I think it’s the perfect sweet spot where it’s hard enough to be engaging for me and obviously an interesting climb.”

Honnold is a married father of two young girls.