Brian Williams is set to make a shock return to the anchor chair

Brian Williams' surprise return to the anchor chair is “imminent,” a source close to the talks tells The Daily Beast that the veteran newsman is set to sign a deal with Amazon Prime Video for an election night special.

Williams, 65, hasn't done an on-air show since her sudden resignation from NBC in 2021. Now, his surprise return from the television wilderness looks set to happen at Amazon as the streaming giant makes its first foray into the breaking news space. .

“It's a reimagining of a traditional election night,” well-placed sources told The Daily Beast, adding that the program won't call the results of the 2024 election, but will include “comprehensive coverage” and access to the same information as traditional news organizations.

The Amazon election special, reported by First Pak's Dylan Byers, aims to provide “an impartial discussion of that evening's events,” according to insiders. Viewers will be able to stream the program, which will originate from Amazon MGM Studios live in Los Angeles starting with a “pre-game show” special at 5 pm ET and then covering the election until the final results at 6 pm.

The election raises the tantalizing prospect of Amazon's entry into the highly competitive news business, where traditional networks have faced declining ratings and mounting financial pressures.

With more than 200 million Prime customers worldwide, Amazon will be able to reach a global audience of desired customers instantly. Amazon has already expanded its streaming offerings into sports and entertainment, spending billions on football, basketball, soccer and cricket rights and billions on original programming, including more than $700 million. Lord of the Rings Streaming series.

Bookings of guests and experts for the Amazon election special, insiders said, is underway, noting that many notable pundits are available to participate as traditional networks cut back on contributors.

“Election night coverage is something that (Williams) specializes in and loves to do, and the opportunity to do it in a new environment, but at the same time with an eye to tradition and the future, I think he finds interesting,” the source said.

Williams, who spent 28 years at NBC News, was fired from the #1 rated NBC Nightly News program in 2015 after misrepresenting its coverage of the Iraq War in 2003.

For years, Williams claimed he was aboard a Chinook helicopter in Iraq that came under enemy fire and was forced to land in dangerous territory. When Iraq veterans challenged this account, Williams retracted the story and apologized.

After an internal NBC News investigation revealed multiple errors in other accounts of news events, Williams was removed from her anchor chair at NBC News and exiled to MSNBC.

On the cable network, Williams launched 11th hour program and spent five years rebuilding his reputation as a skilled interviewer and breaking news expert. His coverage of the 2020 presidential election and the Capitol uprising won acclaim from viewers and critics.

Amazon did not respond to a request from The Daily Beast for comment at the time of publication.