Amazon Announces Plans For Brian Williams’ Election Night Special On Prime Video

Amazon Prime Video confirmed plans today for an election night special anchored by Brian Williams.

Election Night Live with Brian Williams will mark Williams’ first major appearance since departing MSNBC and NBC News at the end of 2021.

On the special, Williams will be joined by contributors across news and traditional media who will share poll results and commentary, according to Prime Video. They also will reference third-party news sources across the political spectrum.

The special will start at 5 p.m. ET and will be produced by Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner, with Jonathan Wald as executive producer and showrunner. A news business veteran, Wald worked with Williams at NBCU.

Williams said in a statement, “After 41 years in the business — from local news to network shows to cable news — this feels like the next big thing. And the global marketplace of Amazon is a natural home for this first-of-its-kind venture. Together we will follow the storyline on election night wherever it leads us.”

The special marks Amazon Prime Video‘s first foray into a major live news event, although executives have cautioned that it should not be seen as a signal that the streaming service is moving to start a news unit. Instead, Amazon emphasized the availability of streaming news channels on Prime Video, including the three news streaming channels of the major broadcast networks, CBS 24/7, NBC News Now and ABC News Live. All will be presenting election night coverage as well.

Albert Cheng, VP and head of Prime Video, said, “This non-partisan live special will draw from major news sources and complement the various partner news channels available on Prime Video. Our comprehensive offering is designed to give today’s viewer a direct and seamless way to keep up with election results.”