Brian Williams returns to cover election night for Amazon Prime

Former NBC News star Brian Williams is inking a deal to anchor live presidential election results coverage for Amazon's Prime Video. This is the streamer's first attempt at broadcasting live news, according to two people familiar with the plan.

Williams, 65, has not appeared on television since leaving his professional home of 28 years in 2021. He's been talking to a number of networks and streaming services about projects, but this is the first to come to fruition. At Prime Video, he would be in his comfort zone, having led NBC's presidential election night programs in 2008 and 2012 and cable network MSNBC's coverage in 2016 and 2020.

A representative for Prime Video declined to comment. But those briefed on the matter said a deal was imminent.

Cash-rich Amazon's entry into live reporting will not be a welcome development for legacy television networks, as they struggle to maintain their financial base as audiences switch to streaming. Nearly every news organization is looking to cut costs after the 2024 election.

In recent years, Prime Video has become a leader in live sports by broadcasting NFL Thursday night games. From the 2025/26 season it will also be the streaming platform for the NBA. Live news could be the next challenge for streamers.

But the election night broadcast would currently be a one-off event and not part of a larger effort to bring Prime Video into the TV news business, according to a person familiar with the discussions.

Amazon executives were persuaded to experiment with messaging as millions of young viewers who don't watch traditional television are expected to tune in to the election between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump. Many of them use TikTok and YouTube as sources of information.

Prime Video's election coverage will originate from Amazon's Culver City studio and stream live starting an hour before the polls close on November 5. The plan is to keep Williams on the stream until a winner is announced, although there is the possibility of a closed race that could take several days to resolve.

Prime Video does not have its own messaging service. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns the Washington Post, but the newspaper would not be officially involved in the project. Jonathan Wald, a veteran TV news producer and executive who worked closely with Williams at NBC, was to oversee production.

The program would be different from traditional election coverage. The organization supporting Williams would not have a decision desk to review data and pick winners. Prime Video would have to rely on calls from the Associated Press on individual states.

Prime Video's coverage will be more stylistically similar to MSNBC's evening show “The 11th Hour With Brian Williams,” in which the host briefed reporters, historians and experts on the day's events. Williams gained a large following among viewers who watched for his sharp wit and easy conversational approach to topics.

“The 11th Hour” also rehabilitated Williams' career. He moved to MSNBC in 2015 after a scandal over false statements about his experiences covering the Iraq War, which cost him the prestigious anchor post on “NBC Nightly News,” which he held for 10 years.