Amazon Eyes News Expansion After Election Special Success

As the dust settled on Election Night 2024, Brian Williams found himself looking ahead. "Our country is going through changes again, " he told viewers of his special on Amazon Prime Video, with a highway diorama as his backdrop. "Life goes on, and my next gig is hosting our firehouse dinner in New Jersey. " But Williams and others like him might have more exciting opportunities on the horizon. Amazon has been quietly exploring the idea of news programming, according to insiders. The company sees potential in news to boost its business, despite challenges faced by traditional news outlets like CNN, ABC News, CBS News, and NBC News, which have all cut staff recently. Amazon's recent experiment with news specials has been encouraging, with Williams' Election Night special attracting around 4 million viewers – not bad compared to other networks. Amazon didn't heavily promote the special and only announced it three weeks before the election. However, the company's interest in news comes at a time when traditional news outlets are struggling to attract viewers. Both MSNBC and CNN have seen viewership drops since the election, and many young people now get their news from social media influencers.

Amazon is more interested in event-specific news specials rather than creating its own news division. These specials would aim to be unbiased and avoid controversial topics. Albert Cheng, who leads Prime Video's U. S. operations, is said to be looking into the feasibility of news programming. If Amazon's news model takes off, it would likely be project-based, allowing the company to avoid long-term contracts with anchors and contributors. This approach is similar to how Amazon handles sports programming, where many sportscasters work for other media companies as well. Amazon has a pool of news talent to choose from, including correspondents and contributors from other networks. The economic pressures at traditional news outlets have made many well-known personalities available. Additionally, Amazon offers live-streaming news channels, appealing to news junkies who prefer digital devices for news. During Williams' special, Amazon promoted its live-streamed news offerings. Viewers using Amazon Fire may see promotions for news coverage, encouraging them to click through for more information.

Actions