Amazon is broadcasting live coverage of the US election

E-commerce giant Amazon (AMZN) is pushing into live coverage and plans to broadcast the results of the US presidential election on its Prime Video platform.

The tech giant announced that it will air a live special with real-time election results and analysis on Prime Video on November 5th.

The live show will be hosted by broadcast journalist Brian Williams, who previously worked for NBC News.

Amazon emphasized in a press release that election night coverage will be “nonpartisan” and will focus on providing viewers with information from a variety of sources.

The coverage of the US president is the company’s first foray into live news.

Live events and sports are considered growth drivers for streaming services. Amazon has increasingly switched to live sports programming on its Prime Video service.

The company has signed an 11-year rights deal to broadcast live NBA basketball games beginning in the 2025-26 season.

Amazon also broadcasts live Thursday Night Football games and has the rights to live stream some NHL hockey games this season.

Amazon isn’t the only one switching to live streaming events.

Netflix (NFLX) is increasingly hosting live events, ranging from a Labor Day hot dog eating contest to a celebrity roast of former NFL quarterback Tom Brady.

Amazon stock is up 26% so far in 2024 and is trading at $188.99 per share.