Amazon is negotiating with Brian Williams to host the election night special

Brian Williams may have found his next job as a television news reporter… except he won't be on traditional television.

The veteran NBC News and MSNBC anchor is in late talks to host a live election night special on Amazon Prime Video, according to five people familiar with the matter. The goal, these people say, is an impartial discussion of that evening's events. If the project comes to fruition, it could be the first foray into news programming from one of the industry's standalone streaming giants, which has so far largely focused on films, scripted original series and reality programming.

It's not necessarily guaranteed that the concept will come to fruition, these people cautioned. Amazon declined to make executives available for comment. Through a spokesman, Williams declined to comment.

Amazon would potentially be vying for attention on one of the biggest nights in traditional journalism. Many media companies view a presidential election cycle as a time to attract new viewers and grab a larger share of advertising dollars as the race for the White House generates interest beyond the typical news enthusiast. At the same time, many traditional television news networks, including CBS News and CNN, have cut costs and, in some cases, laid off anchors and contributors. One of the selling points of the Williams concept, according to one of the people familiar with the matter, is that the host could draw guests from a larger-than-expected pool of analysts and newsmakers.

Amazon would be testing this ground as traditional players like NBC News, CNN, CBS News, Fox News Channel and ABC News are still experimenting with new ways to appeal to younger audiences who often prefer screens other than a television, to receive messages and information. According to a Pew Research Center analysis, about 86% of U.S. adults say they sometimes get news via a smartphone, computer or tablet, with 57% of that group saying they do so frequently. Meanwhile, the number of Americans who say they frequently get news from television remains steady at 33%.

Streamers have recently started to realize the appeal of live programming – especially when trying to get closer to Madison Avenue. Both Amazon and Netflix, which each wooed viewers with the promise of never having to watch ads while they binge through quality programming, have introduced ad-supported subscription tiers for the first time in the last two years. Major advertisers still crave large, concurrent audiences, such as those watching football games, award shows and series finales, and pay more to get their commercials in front of such audiences. Streaming scripted programming doesn't generate that kind of viewership, which is one of the factors behind Netflix's recent live comedy specials and NFL game broadcasts this Christmas.

People familiar with the matter cautioned against seeing the Williams project as a sign that Amazon intends to produce regular news programs. After all, the company didn't hire legions of journalists. One of the options under discussion could involve Williams speaking to a number of guests or contributors, according to three people familiar with the discussions. Jonathan Wald, a former executive producer of Williams' “11th Hour” on MSNBC who has worked in senior production roles at CNN and NBC News, would serve as the show's executive producer, according to a person familiar with the matter. Was, who helped launch Don Lemon in prime time on CNN, was recently involved in that host's new show, which was distributed via video streaming and social media.

For Amazon's Election Night special, Williams would likely rely heavily on the Associated Press to determine how candidates were faring in each state. The show would stream from a studio in the Los Angeles area, one of the people said, and could begin as early as 5 p.m. Eastern time. Williams would be willing to stay at the desk for seven to eight hours – and possibly longer. In the event of a close election where the results are too close, this person said, Williams would broadcast for as long as it lasted.

The show is more about explaining the news, this person says, than breaking down individual parts of it. The producers have added familiar names to the program, this person added, and have benefited from the fact that many traditional TV news competitors have reduced the number of their contributors as economic pressures weigh on them. The show, this person says, will be large, accessible and feature many famous guests.

Efforts to stream newscasts are still in their infancy, and the only thing that's certain about the idea is that there's no consistent way to do it.

NBC News, for example, has worked to build an ad-supported live streaming portal called NBC News Now and fill its programming with original times staffed by anchors such as Tom Llamas, Hallie Jackson and Savannah Sellers. Meanwhile, Fox News Channel has built its streaming business around Fox Nation, a subscription-based broadband hub that has expanded its reach beyond news to comedy, documentaries and even movies. CBS News recently rebranded its CBS News 24/7 service and introduced a new “whip-around” show that guides viewers to current events through the staff of local stations in its portfolio. ABC News recently hired the weekend anchors of “Good Morning America” ​​to handle late-morning streaming duties as well.

Warner Bros. Discovery's CNN was more cautious. The news outlet launched a subscription hub called CNN+ in 2022, but it shut down within weeks after new company owners felt the project would not generate the appropriate financial data. Since then, CNN programs have been shown, some live, on the company's Max streaming hub in a special “beta” section that is still in development.

An election night appearance by Williams would be his first major project since his departure from NBCUniversal and MSNBC in December 2021 after nearly three decades. The anchor, who worked his way up from a daily evening news program on MSNBC to the anchor chair on “NBC Nightly News” before developing a late-night show called “The 11th Hour” at MSNBC, was one of the company's most well-known personalities parlaying her gift for public speaking and storytelling into appearances on late-night talk shows and even “Saturday Night Live.”

After a “Nightly News” broadcast on Jan. 30, 2015, he faced backlash when he repeated his claim that a Chinook helicopter he was traveling in while on a reporting trip to Iraq was hit by enemy fire and crashed had been. In fact, Williams and his crew never faced enemy fire and landed safely while traveling across the country. The report was disputed by soldiers who were aware of the true nature of the incident and had begun to complain, and NBCU suspended the host for six months and replaced him on “Nightly” with Lester Holt.

Since his departure from NBC, Williams' name has come up again and again. He signed CAA to represent him in finding new projects. In recent years, there has been speculation that he was being considered for roles on CNN and CBS News' “60 Minutes.” People familiar with the anchor's thinking have suggested he would be more interested in programs that allow him to show off more than just his skills behind an anchor desk. As Williams bid farewell to “The 11th Hour,” he devoted his final minutes to a monologue in which he asked viewers to reflect on the weakness of American democracy.

However, at the end of his remarks, Williams hinted that he would like to make a few more appearances in front of a curious audience. “I'll probably find it impossible to be still and stay away from you, lights and cameras after experimenting with relaxation,” he said at the time, “and figuring out what I'm missing and what's out there.”