Brian Williams’ surprise return to the anchor chair is “imminent” with a source close to the discussions telling the Daily Beast that the veteran newsman is set to sign a deal with Amazon Prime Video for an Election Night special.
Williams, 65, has not anchored a program on-air since he abruptly resigned from NBC in 2021. Now, his surprising return from the television wilderness appears set to take place at Amazon as the streaming giant makes its first foray into the breaking news space.
“It’s a reimagining of a traditional election night,” the well-placed source told the Daily Beast, adding that the program would not call the results of the 2024 election, but would include “comprehensive coverage” and have access to the same information as traditional news organizations.
The Amazon election special, first reported by Dylan Byers of Puck, aims to deliver "a non-partisan discussion of that evening’s events,” according to the insider. Viewers will be able to stream the program, which will originate from Amazon MGM Studios in Los Angeles. The live special will begin at 5 pm ET with a "pre-game show" and then cover the election from 6 pm till the final results are tallied.
The election special raises the tantalizing prospect of Amazon entering the highly competitive news business, where traditional networks have faced declining ratings and increasing financial pressure.
With more than 200 million Prime subscribers worldwide, Amazon would immediately be able to reach a global audience of desirable consumers. Amazon has already expanded its streaming offerings into sports and entertainment, spending billions on rights for football, basketball, soccer and cricket and billions more on original programming, including more than $700 million on its Lord of the Rings streaming series.
Booking of guests and experts for the Amazon election special, the inside source said, is underway, noting that there are many notable pundits available to participate because the traditional networks have cut back on contributors.
The broadcast news legend spent 28 years at NBC Universal before leaving in 2021.
“Election night coverage is something that (Williams) has specialized in and loved doing, and the opportunity to do it in a new environment, but with a an eye towards the tradition and the future at the same time, I think he finds appealing,” the source said.