By DANIEL MATTHEWS, US SENIOR SPORTS WRITER
Published: 07:09 EST, 17 December 2025 | Updated: 07:09 EST, 17 December 2025
Elle Duncan used her final sign-off on SportsCenter to tell ESPN that some of the criticism aimed at the network is justified.
Duncan has spent almost a decade with ESPN but she is leaving to join Netflix, where she will become the face of the streaming giant's sports programming.
On Tuesday, she anchored SportsCenter for one last time and Duncan was overcome with emotion as she thanked her colleagues for their support.
But the presenter also used her farewell speech to send a message to ESPN bosses at a time when the network is no stranger to criticism.
'Before I leave this desk, there is something I want to say: I see the headlines about ESPN - some are earned, some I believe are not,' Duncan began.
'And anyone in this chair knows that criticism is just a part of the job and you take it. But the faces of this place are not the soul of this place.'
"I see the headlines. Some are earned. Some, I believe are not. ... But the faces of this place are not the soul of this place."
Elle Duncan with some very pointed words about the Worldwide Leader as she gets set to leave for Netflix next year ð§ pic.twitter.com/T9sON0PeZ5
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 17, 2025
Elle Duncan used her final sign-off on SportsCenter to address the criticism aimed at ESPN
Duncan did not refer to any particular colleague or controversy. But high-profile hosts Pat McAfee and Stephen A. Smith are among those who have come under fire recently.
McAfee has previously called out ESPN executives and received criticism for interviewing President Trump, while Smith has faced questions after becoming outspoken on politics in recent years.
Both hosts have been handed huge contracts despite cuts elsewhere in the business.
The network has also taken criticism over its decision to end shows such as Around The Horn, while Disney's recent dispute with Google's YouTube TV saw fans locked out of watching NFL action.
And Duncan insisted the 'soul' of ESPN 'is the thousands of people who work here - no spotlight and still all the scrutiny.
'People from every background, with every kind of belief and from every zip code.'
And the SportsCenter host defended the network against allegations of bias and conspiracy theories. 'There is no hidden agenda here, folks,' she said.
'Just maybe the same one that most of you have there at home: to put food on the table, maybe send your kids to college, do some work that matters, build a life.
Stephen A. Smith, who signed a $100million deal with ESPN, is routinely in the headlines
Former NFL star Pat McAfee, who now hosts a show on ESPN, has also come under fire
'ESPN is not some nameless monolith, it runs on individuals: directors who keep you in frame, producers who steer the ship, editors who save your butt... and the staffers who turn a three-ring circus into a symphony.
'They're the heartbeat of this place and I hope you will try to see them.'
Duncan struggled to hold back tears as she finished her speech. 'To you my colleagues and peers, I want to say this directly: thank you so much,' she said.
'You made this last decade a gift... this is a little girl's dream fully realized and I am so humbled and grateful.'
NetflixSteve Smith