Latest news with #Llamas
New York Post
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
NBC's ‘Nightly News' with Tom Llamas beats ABC's ‘World News Tonight' in 25-54 demo for first time: Nielsen
NBC's switch from Lester Holt to Tom Llamas as anchor of 'NBC Nightly News' appears to be paying dividends in the ratings, particularly among younger viewers. For the first time since the 46-year-old Llamas took over on June 2, the 'NBC Nightly News' episode on Tuesday outperformed ABC's 'World News Tonight with David Muir' in the advertiser coveted 25-54 age demographic, according to Nielsen data. NBC drew 904,000 viewers in the demo to edge ABC's 891,000. The milestone marked a 9% year-over-year increase for NBC in the key demographic, while ABC saw an 8% decline. 4 NBC's recent transition from Lester Holt to Tom Llamas (pictured) as anchor of 'Nightly News' appears to be paying dividends in the ratings. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images NBC also captured the 18-49 demo on both Monday and Tuesday this week, bringing in 677,000 and 624,000 viewers, respectively. ABC trailed with 668,000 on Monday and 575,000 on Tuesday, according to The Wrap. Despite NBC's demo wins, ABC remains the dominant network when it comes to total viewership. On Tuesday, 'World News Tonight' averaged 7.09 million viewers, compared to 5.81 million for 'NBC Nightly News.' Bringing up the rear with 3.875 million viewers was 'CBS Evening News,' which has been panned for an overhaul that included dumping longtime anchor Norah O'Donnell for lesser-known, and less expensive co-anchors John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois. In June, ABC averaged 7.31 million total viewers — its biggest monthly win in three decades — while NBC averaged 5.67 million. ABC's overall ratings were up 1% year-over-year, while NBC's total viewership increased 0.4%. 4 For the first time since Llamas took over on June 2, NBC 'Nightly News' outperformed ABC 'World News Tonight' in the 25-54 age demographic on Tuesday, according to Nielsen data. 'World News Tonight' anchor David Muir is pictured. ABC In the key 25–54 demographic, 'World News Tonight' drew 991,000 viewers in June, outpacing 'NBC 'Nightly News' (823,000). Among adults 18-49, ABC averaged 669,000, while NBC drew 538,000. The performance represents the closest June demo gap between NBC and ABC in five years. CBS came in third across all categories in June, with 3.94 million total viewers, 524,000 in adults 25-54 and 369,000 in adults 18-49. 4 Llamas, 46, was named Holt's successor in March after Holt (above) announced in February that he would step away from his nightly duties to focus full-time on Dateline NBC. AP The Tiffany Network, whose news division has been rocked by turmoil in the wake of parent company Paramount Global's controversial $16 million settlement of a lawsuit filed by President Trump, has struggled to pin down a winning formula for its nightly newscast. 'CBS Evening News' saw a 10% year-over-year decline in total viewership in June. The Post has sought comment from ABC, NBC and CBS. Llamas was named Holt's successor in March after Holt announced he would step away from his nightly duties to focus full-time on Dateline NBC. 4 Earlier this year, The Post reported that Tiffany Network honchos scrapped a planned overhaul of the 'Evening News' format following the departure of long-time anchor Norah O'Donnell. AP Holt had served as anchor of Nightly News for a decade and held a trusted place among American audiences. Tapping Llamas was part of NBC's broader strategy to attract younger and more diverse viewers while maintaining a reputation for journalistic credibility. He continues to anchor 'Top Story,' a news program that streams on NBC News Now. Llamas, who is of Cuban descent, began his journalism career as a teenager and has worked at both NBC and ABC in a variety of roles, including correspondent and anchor. He is known for his investigative reporting and energetic style.
Daily Mail
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
ABC News bosses 'anxious' as top star David Muir faces competition from handsome younger rival
ABC News is unsettled by the impact of NBC Nightly News's Tom Llamas during his first month as host, an industry source has claimed. The fears stem from the former World News Tonight weekend anchor gaining ground on ABC News golden boy David Muir, 51, among younger audiences, the insider said. Llamas, 46, stepped in for longtime host Lester Holt early last month. He has made progress in closing a gap in viewers within the advertiser-coveted 25-54 demographic to its closest in five years, along with the A18-49 group as well. Three straight weeks of growth under Llamas in terms of total viewers have also caught the attention of ABC News bosses, the source alleged. 'There is a growing concern that Muir's once-apparent predecessor is already showing promising signs - and it's starting to reflect in the ratings,' the source said. Muir, meanwhile, is notoriously private. He offered a rare sit-down with People in late May days before Llamas' start, the insider pointed out. 'Between this, the disastrous Terry Moran exit and GMA3 being completely reworked, anxiety is high at ABC,' the insider said. Moran was fired from ABC after 27 years in June for an X post branding Donald Trump and his aide Stephen Miller 'world class haters.' GMA3 - the third hour of ABC's Good Morning America - is now set for the ax after struggling to retain viewers. But it's not all bad news for ABC. Despite a promising start, Llamas still has a long way to go before he catches up with Muir, who is the United States' most popular newscaster. Muir's World News Tonight commands a far bigger overall audience and remains considerably more popular among younger viewers. His lead over Nightly News grew again from May and June, the new Nielsen numbers showed - from 7.24 million to 7.308 million in total viewers. NBC, meanwhile secured 5.751 million total viewers, up from last week and this time last year. World News Tonight's 1.58 million-viewer lead over NBC is its largest in a second quarter in 30 years. In the all-important 25-54 demo, Nightly News pulled in 840,000 viewers to Muir's 1.01 million. In another encouraging sign, Nightly delivered a five-week high in the A25-54 demo, suggesting any battle by Llamas to beat Muir will be an uphill one. A high-level industry insider trashed claims that Llamas is unnerving ABC bosses. 'The reality is "World News Tonight" is beating Nightly News by nearly 2 million viewers on many nights and just had the biggest June win over Nightly News in 30 years,' the source told Daily Mail. 'While NBC News remains focused on their transition from Lester Holt, ABC News remains focused on the news,' the source added. But there are signs that transition from Holt to Llamas is going well. Llamas has managed to avoid a drastic ratings drop since taking over from his predecessor, a well-liked industry veteran known for his straight-down-the-middle reporting. Third place rival CBS News has seen embarrassing slumps since its former star anchor Norah O'Donnell quit her seat in January. Despite Muir's sizable lead on both fronts, Llamas's was the only evening newscast to see grow in both total and demo viewers year-over-year and week-over-week. Muir, meanwhile, has been a primetime mainstay for 11 years. He succeeded Diane Sawyer in 2014 when World News Tonight still trailed NBC in primetime. Muir has held the primetime crown for the past nine years running, after erasing that gap in a matter of years. The life-long newsman is only 51 and is seen as having a lengthy career at the top ahead of him. Llamas, however, could repeat history with another swing as he looks looks poised to expand his share of the evening news market. He told The Washington Post in June that he 'want[s] to be number one' in primetime. He conceded, however, that his goal was a lofty one. 'It's not easy,' Lamas said. 'But it's something I think we can do.' He admitted, 'It's not going to happen in a month.'
Chicago Tribune
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
New ‘NBC Nightly News' anchor Tom Llamas brings national broadcast to Chicago
When former Chicago anchor Lester Holt ended his run as anchor of 'NBC Nightly News' on May 30 after 10 years in that role, he left some pretty big shoes to fill. His successor, Tom Llamas, who last month became just the fourth anchor of the network's signature weeknight newscast in 40 years, has hit the ground running. In addition to the nightly 30-minute TV broadcast, Llamas is also doing double duty as host of a one-hour primetime newscast on the NBC News Now streaming network. The shows, which run back-to-back, bridge the gap between traditional broadcast and streaming TV, and firmly establish Llamas as the new face of NBC News. 'My life has definitely changed,' Llamas, 46, told the Tribune. 'It's a great responsibility, but it's one I have been dreaming about and thinking about for a very long time.' Born and raised in Miami to Cuban parents, Llamas is headed to Chicago this week to participate in the annual National Association of Hispanic Journalists conference, which is taking place Wednesday through Saturday at the Hilton Chicago on South Michigan Avenue. While in town, Llamas is planning to anchor Thursday's 5:30 p.m. national newscast live from outside NBC Tower at Cityfront Plaza in the Streeterville neighborhood. The scheduled remote will mark the second time in his nascent role as the top NBC anchor that Llamas has taken the New York-based newscast on the road, after hosting earlier this week from the flood zone in Texas. Llamas, who reported from Rome following the April death of Pope Francis, is hoping the Chicago newscast will include a segment on his papal successor, Pope Leo XIV, who grew up in south suburban Dolton as Robert Francis Prevost. 'I was there in the Vatican, and then Pope Leo emerges, the first American pope, and it's incredible,' Llamas said. 'It's a huge story. So I think we're going to be covering that as well.' Since Llamas took the helm June 2, 'NBC Nightly News' has gained traction in the ratings, averaging more than 5.6 million total viewers last month, besting the 'CBS Evening News,' which averaged 3.9 million viewers, according to Nielsen data supplied by NBC. 'ABC World News Tonight' remained the top-rated evening newscast in June with nearly 7.2 million viewers, but NBC was the only network to gain ground in the key 25- to 54-year-old demo, closing the gap with ABC, according to Nielsen. In Chicago, 'NBC Nightly News' was up 29% year-over-year in June among adults 25-to-54, according to Nielsen data supplied by NBC 5 Chicago. Llamas has been in broadcast journalism for 25 years, starting as an NBC News overnight production assistant. A former anchor at WNBC-TV in New York, he joined ABC News as a correspondent in 2014, and became weekend anchor for 'World News Tonight' the following year. In 2021, he rejoined NBC as senior national correspondent and anchor of 'Top Story' on NBC News Now. In March, NBC named Llamas to replace Holt, who previously announced he would step down after 10 years as the network's top anchor. Llamas credits Holt and other mentors, as well as fortuitous timing, for his elevation to anchor and managing editor of 'NBC Nightly News.' Unlike his predecessor, whose broadcast résumé included a 14-year run in Chicago as a local TV news anchor, Llamas has spent most of his career in New York, where he lives in the suburbs with his wife and three kids. But Llamas professes an 'obsession' with Chicago cuisine, which he plans to tie into his visit — whether on the air or behind the scenes. 'I don't know if we'll be doing a story, but I know I'm going to be eating,' Llamas said. 'So I'm going to be grabbing some beef sandwiches and some deep dish.'
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Twilight of Evening News: Anchor Swaps, Trust Gaps and a Looming AI Threat
On June 2, another new era of the decades-long evening news battles began at 6:30 p.m. NBC debuted the first episode of NBC Nightly News with its new anchor, Tom Llamas. He succeeded Lester Holt, who, after a decade behind the Nightly desk, is moving to a role at Dateline. Aside from the new face, little changed. The studio appeared largely the same, as was the format. That was almost certainly a deliberate choice. After all, when NBC launched its ad campaign for Llamas, it leaned on its history and heritage, and the fact that the anchor has been familiar to NBC News viewers for the past four years, while also referencing Holt's status as the most trusted news anchor by Americans. More from The Hollywood Reporter Would You Pay $400 Million for This Movie? 'Today' Co-Host Sheinelle Jones' Husband Uche Ojeh Dies at 45 of Brain Cancer With Cord Cut, Can Old TV Brands Take Off On Streaming? 'Legacy isn't handed down, it's carried forward. As the world changes, we look for what endures, we look for a constant,' the spot declared, featuring video and audio from Nightly anchors past, before segueing to Llamas. 'And from one era to the next, trust is the anchor.' Llamas ended his first Nightly as he does every show, with a thanks to the viewers, meant to underscore the role he hopes to play in their daily lives: 'My thanks to all of you as we start this new adventure together. Tonight, and always, we're here for you.' Of course, Llamas assumes the anchor chair of NBC Nightly News at a strange and uncertain moment for the format. The network evening newscasts are still considered the flagships of the broadcast news divisions, the anchor chairs where legends like Cronkite, Jennings, Brokaw, Walters and Rather informed the nation day in and day out, and reassured them in times of tumult and crisis. And they remain the primary news digests for tens of millions of Americans who turn on their TV sets at 6:30 p.m. most evenings, breaking down complex topics in a format that is easy to understand. 'I think the core need that evening news continues to serve is just going to become even more important, as we see this proliferation and explosion of AI generated slop out there, being human and being trusted and being real is the currency,' a senior news executive tells The Hollywood Reporter. 'And the value of that, I think, is going to be exponential as well, because we are fast approaching a time where it's going to be very hard to tell what is real, what is bullshit, what actually happened and what didn't happen.' But broadcast TV has not been immune to the squeeze impacting the larger TV business, and network news divisions have historically been more important to building brand equity than being profit centers of the business. The result has been cost cutting and consolidation across the network news divisions in recent years, with teams merged together and some talent cut loose. The morning shows like Today and Good Morning America have transformed into lifestyle brands that touch on health, food and fashion, while the Sunday public affairs shows now set the news agenda with newsmaking political interviews. The evening newscasts find themselves in an uncomfortable position: The millions of viewers who rely on them want a digest of the most important stories that happened that day, but the next generation of viewers is getting that news off of linear platforms. In private, news executives acknowledge that they are laser-focused on finding ways to reach those viewers, knowing that while they might not turn on the TV at 6:30 p.m. every night, the networks may still find some way to serve them a similar product. YouTube has emerged as a preferred landing pad. The Google-owned video platform is the most-watched streaming service, per Nielsen's Gauge, and all of the network evening newscasts now publish their episodes there, in some cases adding hundreds of thousands of incremental viewers. But there are other efforts in play, including NBC's approach with Llamas: As soon as he signs off on the network, he begins anchoring Top Story, the NBC News Now streaming show. NBC executives are quick to point out that the average viewer of the streaming show is decades younger than the typical evening news viewer. And in the meantime, despite the fears of what AI will do to the larger news environment, AI disruption is looming for the format that defines evening news broadcasts. Two sources tell THR that an AI-powered news digest is in development by at least one TV news operation, one that could deliver the news of the day in a more tailored format for digital consumers, combining human-reported segments with AI-powered personalization and voiceovers or anchors. It isn't science fiction: Last year NBC Olympics used an AI generated version of Al Michaels to deliver personalized recaps during the Paris Olympics, and last month ESPN chief Jimmy Pitaro told reporters that the sports media giant is actively developing an AI-powered SportsCenter that would deliver news only about the teams, sports and players that its users care about, perhaps delivered by AI versions of the anchors they already know. 'We are very much focused on on AI, and are working with some of our key talent right now, getting them on board with this idea of having the storytelling being driven by AI,' Pitaro said. As a veteran news producer lamented, while it may first take shape in the world of sports, an AI-powered evening news is 'inevitable,' though consumers would likely watch whenever and wherever they so choose, rather than on the TV set at 6:30 p.m. 'There will be, for sure, consumer products coming to market. I think the hard part for audiences is going to be figuring out 'how do I know I trust this and not that?' So if you're talking about like — name your AI product — go give me a summary of the top world headlines and read it back to me in the voice of Donald Duck, sure, that can be done today,' the senior news executive says. 'Or you know that I like stories about quirky crime trials; I want to know about all the cute cat and dog videos; I'm really a politics geek, and I want to know the stock price of Tesla at all times. Read that to me in the voice of Angelina Jolie every morning when I wake up at six. There will be lots of products like that. But when you get into like, a war has just broken out in X place. I don't think we're turning to AI at that point to say, what the hell is going on here? Or a plane has just exploded over the skies of Los Angeles. What just happened? That's where AI can't step in.' Whatever ends up happening, network executives have to grapple with the fact that shaking up the evening news is hard. Look no further than CBS, where a high-profile reimagining of the CBS Evening News is still evolving, with network executives tinkering with the format to keep loyal viewers while creating something that can appeal to a wider swath of the population. CBS made significant changes to the broadcast early this year, with Norah O'Donnell exiting for a new role at the network, and political correspondent John Dickerson and WCBS anchor Maurice Dubois taking the helm as co-anchors. 'We're making tweaks and changes as we go, looking at what works and what doesn't and making adjustments,' a source says. 'We always knew the broadcast would be different on Day 243 than it did on Day 1.' The co-anchor format is not new, of course, but CBS also moved the program from Washington D.C. back to New York, and named frequent correspondents who would appear in recurring segments. Bill Owens, who added oversight of the program in the revamp, told THR at the time that he wanted to bring some of the ethos from 60 Minutes to the daily newscast. Owens, of course, resigned last month amid larger tumult at Paramount Global, as did Wendy McMahon, the executive who spearheaded the changes. What their exits mean for the show in the medium and long term are not yet clear. ABC News, meanwhile, has exuded a quiet confidence at ABC World News, led by anchor David Muir. The network has tried to expand the newscast to streaming by leveraging the scale of Disney+ to make it a new platform for the newscast, a strategy that it hopes will stand out. Muir has also taken some segments from the show and expanded them into longform programs that stream on Hulu. Muir made his case directly to ABC advertisers at Disney's upfront May 13. 'We continue to have the largest audience every night with World News Tonight and often the most watched program on all of television,' Muir told those in attendance at a cavernous room at New York's Jacob Javits Center. 'Think about it this way, every month we reach as a newscast 40 million viewers. I'm proud to say that we're the number one newscast for the ninth consecutive year now. And there's never been a more vital time to be America's most trusted and most-watched newscast, and we thank all of you here in this room.' The fate of the evening newscasts also crosses over with larger questions about the fate of the star TV anchor. No one denies that today's star anchors can drive an audience (particularly the older audience that is still committed to linear TV). But in a media environment that is splintering, and a future where consumers may be able to get their news delivered by whomever they like (there's no reason the estate of Walter Cronkite couldn't sign a likeness deal with an AI company, for example), how should these companies think about that star power in the future? Agents aren't too concerned. Sure, there is a tightening of budgets across the industry for talent not firmly in the A-list, but in a world where trusting the source becomes all the more important, those A-listers should be ok, at least for a while. 'Stars are stars. Mega stars are always going to get paid in any business, whether it's news, movies, television, music,' UTA vice chairman Jay Sures noted in an interview with THR in April. 'Mega stars bring something that's unique, and I think they're always going to do well, and they bring something bigger than just ratings to the companies that they work for. Sometimes they're the face of the company, and that's hard to put a value on.' A version of this story appeared in the June 4 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe. Best of The Hollywood Reporter How the Warner Brothers Got Their Film Business Started Meet the World Builders: Hollywood's Top Physical Production Executives of 2023 Men in Blazers, Hollywood's Favorite Soccer Podcast, Aims for a Global Empire
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Tom Llamas Era Begins on NBC Nightly News
Tom Llamas was all business on his first night as the new anchor of the NBC Nightly News on Monday. His inaugural newscast focused largely on the top stories of the day, including an attack in Boulder, Colo. that the FBI is investigating as an act of terrorism. Llamas waited until the very end of the broadcast to acknowledge the changing of the guard. 'My thanks to all of you as we start this new adventure together,' he said. 'Tonight and always, we are here for you. Thank you for watching.' Llamas takes over from Lester Holt, who concluded his 10-year run as Nightly News anchor on May 30. The feel and look of the newscast remained the same, as NBC News clearly aims to signal continuity rather than a refresh for its flagship evening news broadcast. Watch the closing moments of Tom Llamas' inaugural Nightly News as anchor below: Originating from Studio 1A at the Rockefeller Center in New York-the same space as the Today show-the Nightly News did feature some slight changes, including Llamas being seated as opposed to standing during the opening intro, as well as darker lighting cues inside the studio. Al Roker was present in the studio for Llamas' first broadcast, updating viewers on the severe weather taking place across the country. The Today show veteran also noted that Llamas has 'the new anchor smell.' A new series was also introduced titled The Cost of Denial, which spotlighted the cost of healthcare and home ownership in relation to insurance coverage. Meanwhile, the upbeat news segment featured during the final block was retitled as: 'There's Good News Tonight.' In addition to his broadcast duties, Llamas continues to host his NBC News Now streaming show, Top Story with Tom Llamas, which also moved to Studio 1A. Earlier in the day Llamas appeared on Today, where he shared advice given to him by Holt while recognizing the impact of being the first Latino, a son of Cuban immigrants to anchor the program, 'To know that they came here with nothing and now I'm going to anchor Nightly News… that is the American dream,' he said.
