Elle Duncan Responded to the "Headlines" Regarding Her ESPN Exit in Her Final Broadcast

While some have said there's no room for girls in sports, broadcaster Elle Duncan has certainly debunked that patriarchal myth. Since 2016, Elle has been an ESPN staple, becoming a prominent lead for women's basketball coverage, hosting WNBA Countdown and the women’s edition of College GameDay. Elle was also known for her coverage for high-profile events such as the NFL Christmas Day games and MLB events.

In December 2025, Elle's longtime ESPN family and fans said goodbye to her as she aired her final episode of SportsCenter, marking the end of a decade-long tenure with the network. So, what caused the journalist to leave the place she called home for so long? Here's everything to know about Elle's departure.

Reports of Elle being out with ESPN began in November 2025. According to The Athletic, the network decided not to renew her contract and freed her of her hosting duties after she signed on to report for several sports events through Netflix. Through her time at the streamer, Elle will anchor Netflix's live sports and studio content, a major step in their sports expansion, covering events like NFL Christmas games and the Women's World Cup. It's been reported that the decision resulted in a "substantial raise" in her salary as well.

Elle is set to make her Netflix debut ahead of boxers Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua's boxing match, which airs live on Dec. 19, 2025. Ahead of her new venture, the host filmed her final ESPN segment during a Dec. 16 episode of SportsCenter. On the sports show, Elle received a "FarewElle" celebration that included her colleagues wishing her well in her next chapter, followed by her husband and children sending her off with a bouquet of flowers.

Amid the emotional tribute, Elle teared up as she reflected on her tenure and the lessons she learned from her colleagues.

“I see the headlines. Some are earned. Some, I believe are not,” she shared on her final ESPN broadcast. “Criticism is just part of the job, and you take it."

"But the faces of this place are not the soul of this place," she continued. "The soul is the thousands of people who work here. Thank you so much. Thank you for this send off.”

While Elle may no longer be on ESPN, the network tapped a familiar face to take over her longtime hosting duties. According to Front Office Sports, Christine Williamson, will succeed her as the co-host of SportsCenter, joining Kevin Negandhi. Christine, who has been with the network since 2019, has commentated on multiple shows and, according to Burke Magnus, ESPN’s president of content, she was the top choice to take on Elle's shows too.

"Christine has earned these high-profile roles on two of our most important content areas—SportsCenter and women’s college basketball,” Magnus said in a statement. "Christine connects with fans through her energy, personality and knowledge of sports, and she’s proven throughout her ESPN career that she can anchor coverage at the highest level—both on SportsCenter and on the road with GameDay.”

Amid Elle's final ESPN broadcast, Christine showed love to her predecessor by reposting a video from ESPN on Instagram Stories of her with fellow hosts Andraya Carter and Chiney Ogwumike and wrote "cry with me" as she reflected on not seeing the trio on ESPN anymore. However, neither Christine nor Elle has discussed Christine taking over her hosting duties.