Amazon made headlines as it ventured into live news coverage with its first attempt at streaming live news coverage on Election Day. The coverage was led by Brian Williams, the longtime NBC Nightly News anchor, who welcomed viewers to the marathon of news and analysis on the significant day. The coverage featured political commentators from different backgrounds and affiliations, offering a diverse range of perspectives on the elections.
The Seattle tech giant has previously focused on streaming live sports events, such as NFL games, for its Prime members. However, Amazon is now expanding its live streaming ambitions to include news coverage. The Election Day coverage was open to anyone, unlike the NFL games, which require a Prime membership. Amazon has used its NFL streaming deal as a way to drive Prime membership sign-ups and create new revenue streams to support its growing advertising business.
During the coverage, there were a handful of ads from various advertisers, including Balance of Nature and Viking.com. Amazon also took the opportunity to promote its own shows and movies during breaks in the coverage. A diverse group of commentators, including political analysts, reporters, and TV hosts like Shepard Smith, James Carville, Abby Huntsman, Candy Crowley, and Poppy Harlow, provided insights and analysis throughout the coverage.
Some viewers commented that the set for Amazon’s coverage was too large, while others praised the coverage itself and particularly highlighted Brian Williams as a standout feature. The coverage aimed to draw from major news sources and complement partner news channels available on Prime Video. The move into live news coverage marks Amazon’s continued efforts to diversify its offerings and provide more content for its Prime members, as well as attracting new subscribers.
Overall, Amazon’s first attempt at streaming live news coverage on Election Day was met with mixed reviews from viewers. While some praised the coverage and the diverse range of commentators, others criticized certain aspects such as the size of the set. Amazon’s expansion into live news coverage marks a new chapter for the tech giant as it continues to invest in streaming media rights and cloud computing infrastructure to support its streaming services. The move further solidifies Amazon’s position as a major player in the media and entertainment industry, offering a wide range of content for its Prime members across the globe.
