Brian Williams, the veteran former anchor for NBC Information and MSNBC, is becoming a member of Netflix the place he’ll host a weekly podcast.
Netflix introduced Thursday that “We’re Again! With Brian Williams” will debut later this 12 months. The format will function Williams in prolonged interviews with popular culture figures and newsmakers in an informal setting.
“With scientists predicting that each American could have a podcast by 2030, I believed it was time to get within the sport,” Williams mentioned in an announcement.
Williams — lengthy a stalwart of conventional TV information — would be the greatest title from that enviornment to hitch a significant video streaming platform.
Williams has been off TV since he departed MSNBC (now MS NOW) in 2021. He was the anchor of the nightly program “The eleventh Hour” and dealt with main breaking information protection for the community.
Earlier than becoming a member of MSNBC in 2015, Williams spent 10 years as anchor of “NBC Nightly Information.” He left the published after being suspended for making false statements about his experiences protecting the Iraq battle.
Williams examined the streaming waters when he anchored prolonged protection of the presidential election in 2024 on Amazon Prime Video. Whereas Amazon was mentioned to be happy with this system, which earned an Emmy, the corporate has made no additional dedication to reside information programming.
“We’re Again!” will doubtless emphasize the playful aspect of Williams, who as soon as hosted “Saturday Evening Reside” throughout his NBC years. He often instructed colleagues he harbored a want to turn into a late evening speak present host or a discussion board the place he might work in a extra conversational fashion.
“After 40 years within the information enterprise when an in-depth interview will get 4 minutes of airtime at finest, I simply wish to have fascinating conversations with inventive, humorous, good, gifted and consequential folks — just like the exhibits all of us grew up watching and listening to,” he mentioned. “Netflix is the proper dwelling.”
Jonathan Wald, a veteran TV information govt who labored with Williams at NBC and MSNBC, would be the govt producer for “We’re Again!”
Netflix has moved aggressively into the podcast enterprise. Sports activities columnist Invoice Simmons, who helped popularize the format, not too long ago moved his podcasts to the platform in January as a part of a take care of Spotify. At the moment Netflix is carrying 51 video podcasts.
