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Sara Fischer: Amazon will stream election night coverage hosted by Brian Williams
This piece is by WWSG exclusive thought leader, Sara Fischer.
Amazon Prime Video on Thursday announced its first-ever foray into live news coverage with Election Night Live, a one-night special delivering election results and analysis on Nov. 5.
The big picture: This is a return to news video investments from Big Tech. Tech firms have invested billions in live sports rights to bolster their streaming services, but live news has proved a more elusive customer acquisition tool.
- To-date, Amazon and most of its Big Tech peers have avoided producing their own real-time news coverage, which is both expensive and sometimes controversial for firms that like to remain apolitical.
The special, a co-production between Amazon Prime Video and White Cherry Entertainment, the production team behind the Tony Awards, will begin Election Night at 5:00 p.m. E.T.
- It will be hosted by former MSNBC anchor Brian Williams, who left the network in 2021, with analysts from across the political spectrum.
- Produced by film producer Glenn Weiss, TV producer Ricky Kirshner and longtime CNN and MSNBC producer Jonathan Wald, the show will be available to Prime Video customers globally.
What they’re saying: “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,” Brian Williams said in a statement.
What’s next: Guests for the program will be announced in the coming weeks.
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