Brian Williams, who used to be the lead news anchor for NBC, has been a regular presence on the network’s election night coverage for three decades, but the 2024 election might find him somewhere new.
Williams is reportedly close to a deal to host an election night special on Amazon, according to a report from Variety.
Amazon didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The deal is not yet finalized, Variety and other outlets caution, and could fall apart. But if it happens, it will be Amazon’s first effort at news programming. This would not mean, however, that the e-commerce giant is getting into the news business.
Williams, instead, would likely host a panel of experts to discuss the election results as they come in, leaning heavily on news outlets such as the Associated Press for election results. (Amazon has not shown any impetus to hire a news staff.)
Williams and NBCUniversal parted ways in December 2021. The anchor led a number of programs including an MSNBC evening program, NBC Nightly News and The 11th Hour at MSNBC, but encountered controversy when he embellished his personal experience while combat reporting. That led to a six-month suspension and removal from the Nightly News anchor desk.
Election night is a critical event for networks and news outlets, as audiences are significantly higher than normal. Amazon’s potential entry into the field could draw younger viewers, who increasingly rely more on mobile devices instead of TV sets to get their information. That could also give the company a revenue boost from advertisers.
Amazon has already disrupted the sports world, gaining the exclusive rights to Thursday Night Football from the NFL. The retailer’s streaming service will also be the only place to watch one of the NFL wildcard playoff games in early 2025.
The election program, if it airs, would likely begin at 8:00 p.m. ET on election night and see Williams on the air for as long as seven or eight hours—perhaps more if the race is too close to call.
