The recent change from Lester Holt to Tom Llamas as the anchor for “NBC Nightly News” seems to be benefiting the network, particularly with younger viewers.
Nielsen ratings reveal that Llamas debuted on June 2, and in this week’s episode, “NBC Nightly News” managed to beat ABC’s “World News Tonight” in the crucial 25-54 demographic.
NBC reported 904,000 viewers in that age group, a small edge over ABC’s 891,000. This also marks a 9% increase for NBC in key demographics year-over-year, while ABC saw an 8% decline.
NBC achieved further success with the 18-49 demographic on both Monday and Tuesday, reaching 677,000 and 624,000 viewers, respectively. For comparison, ABC pulled in 668,000 on Monday and 575,000 on Tuesday.
Despite NBC’s recent wins in specific demographics, ABC continues to be the leader in total viewership.
On Tuesday, “World News Tonight” averaged 7.09 million viewers, whereas “NBC Nightly News” had an audience of 5.81 million.
CBS Evening News also saw an upswing, managing a viewership of 3.875 million. This was amidst criticism for an overhaul which included replacing veteran anchor Nora O’Donnell with lower-profile co-anchors John Dickerson and Maurice Dubois.
In June, ABC had an average audience of 7.31 million—its highest monthly viewership in 30 years—while NBC averaged 5.67 million. Notably, ABC’s ratings rose by 1% from last year, while NBC saw only a 0.4% increase.
Regarding the 25-54 demographic, “World News Tonight” recorded 991,000 viewers in June, compared to “NBC Nightly News” at 823,000. In the 18-49 category, ABC collected an average of 669,000, while NBC attracted 538,000.
This represents the closest June viewer gap between NBC and ABC in five years.
CBS trailed in every category in June with 3.94 million total viewers, as well as 524,000 among adults and 369,000 in the 18-49 bracket.
Llamas, who took over for Holt after Holt’s announcement to focus on “Dateline NBC,” was appointed as the new anchor in March.
The instability at CBS, particularly following a contentious $16 million settlement tied to a lawsuit from President Trump, has made it difficult for the network to find a winning recipe for its evening news program.
In June, “CBS Evening News” experienced a 10% drop in total viewers compared to the previous year.
Commentary has been requested from ABC, NBC, and CBS regarding these changes.
Llamas was chosen to succeed Holt as part of NBC’s larger goal to appeal to younger, more diverse audiences while still being recognized for its journalistic integrity. He focuses on significant stories, making “NBC Nightly News” a program that resonates well with today’s viewers.
Llamas, who began his journalism career as a teenager, has taken on various roles, including correspondent and anchor positions at both NBC and ABC, and is appreciated for his dynamic reporting style.
