“Brian Williams wants to make sure Shock returns to the anchor chair”

Brian Williams' surprise return to the anchor chair is “imminent” and the veteran news editor will sign a deal with Amazon Prime Video for an election night special, a source familiar with the discussions told the Daily Beast.

Williams, 65, has not hosted a show since his sudden resignation from NBC in 2021. Now its surprise return from the television wilderness appears to be coming to Amazon, as the streaming giant makes its first foray into breaking news.

“It’s a reimagining of a traditional election night,” the well-informed source told the Daily Beast, adding that the program would not reveal the results of the 2024 election but would include “comprehensive coverage” and have access to the same information as traditional ones News organizations.

The Amazon election special, first reported by Puck's Dylan Byers, aims to provide “an impartial discussion of this evening's events,” according to the insider. Viewers can stream the show, which airs from Amazon MGM Studios in Los Angeles. The live special begins at 5:00 p.m. ET with a “pre-game show” and then covers the election from 6:00 p.m. until the final results are counted.

The election special raises the tantalizing prospect of Amazon entering the highly competitive news business, where traditional broadcasters face 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 to football, basketball, soccer and cricket and billions more on original programming, including more than $700 million for Amazon Lord of the rings Streaming series.

Booking of guests and experts for the Amazon election special is underway, the inside source said. She pointed out that many well-known experts are available because traditional broadcasters have cut the number of contributors.

“Covering Election Night is something (Williams) specializes in and enjoys doing, and the opportunity to do it in a new environment but with an eye on the tradition and the future at the same time, I think that he finds it appealing,” the source said.

Williams, who worked at NBC News for 28 years, was suspended from the No. 1 ratings company NBC Nightly News program in 2015 after misrepresenting his coverage of the Iraq War in 2003.

Williams had claimed for years that he flew in a Chinook helicopter in Iraq that came under enemy fire and had to land in dangerous territory. When Iraq veterans questioned this report, Williams retracted the story and apologized.

After an internal NBC News investigation uncovered a series of inaccuracies in other reports of news events, Williams was removed from his anchor chair at NBC News and relegated to MSNBC.

Williams started with the cable network The 11th hour program and spent five years rebuilding his reputation as a skilled interviewer and breaking news specialist. His coverage of the 2020 presidential election and the Capitol insurrection won acclaim from viewers and critics.

Amazon did not respond to a request for comment from the Daily Beast in time for publication.

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