NBC, ABC & CBS News Ratings: How’s Tom Llamas Doing a Year After Replacing Lester Holt?
What To Know
- NBC Nightly News surpassed ABC World News Tonight in the Adults 25-54 demographic for the week of June 8.
- Despite NBC’s demo win, ABC World News Tonight remained the overall leader in total viewers.
- CBS Evening News saw modest week-to-week growth in total viewers and the demo.
The latest evening news ratings are in, and it’s good news for NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Llamas, whose show surpassed ABC World News Tonight in the coveted Adults 25-54 demographic.
According to AdWeek, citing national live+same-day big data plus program ratings from Nielsen, NBC Nightly News averaged 6.674 million total viewers and 1.053 million demo viewers for the week of June 8. This was up 6 percent in total viewers and up 18 percent in the demo compared to the week prior.
The show moved ahead of World News Tonight in the demo thanks to an extra 92,000 viewers. Nightly News was also up in both metrics compared to the same period in 2025, increasing 18 percent in total viewers and 25 percent in the demo. It was the only newscast to post gains in both measured categories year over year.
It marks a big achievement for Llamas, who recently celebrated a year behind the Nightly News desk. Llamas took over from long-time anchor Lester Holt back on June 2, 2025. When the journalist first took the helm, he said in a statement, “Just like Lester, I promise to be devoted to our viewers and dedicated to the truth.”
Despite NBC’s demo victory, World News Tonight With David Muir still topped the week in total viewers. The show averaged 7.638 million total viewers and 961,000 demo viewers for the week of June 8. This was flat among total viewers and down 1 percent in the demo compared to the previous week.
Compared to the year prior, World News Tonight was up 5 percent in total viewers but down 4 percent in the key demo.
It should be noted, however, that World News Tonight‘s weekly average is only based on the Monday, June 8 broadcast, for which Muir was off. NBA Finals and NHL Finals coverage preempted the rest of the week’s programming. The average of Nightly News and CBS Evening News, on the other hand, is based on Monday to Thursday.
CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil averaged 3.895 million total viewers and 562,000 demo viewers for the week of June 8. This was up 2 percent in total viewers and flat in the demo compared to the week before. Compared to 2025, the show was down 6 percent among total viewers but up 3 percent in the key demo.
CBS Evening News, Weeknights, 6:30/5:30c, CBS
NBC Nightly News, Weeknights, 6:30/5:30c, NBC
ABC World News Tonight, Weeknights, 6:30/5:30c, ABC
Conversation26 Comments
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R
I miss Lester, but like Tom Llamas. I absolutely refuse to watch CBS news anymore. It’s sad what has happened there.
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G
Screw CBS. I have taken all CBS programming off my recordings.
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G
David Muir in his introduction to a story will tell you word for word what the reporter in the story will say.
It's so much repetition with him it's so annoying. So much time taken up with his yapping and then the story is about 10 second clip.
If we are watching we mute him until the actual story starts.
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E
I will never watch cbs again. Now it is primarily propoganda
21
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S
Actually you are already watching propaganda
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R
What's happening in news repeats what what happened in Germany with Hitler. Little Adolph,with the backing of Epstine Oligharchs,is having his way
18
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J
SO sorry you have TDS, God bless you.
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S
The fantasy world you live in sounds funny, but yea enjoy the next decade of conservatism
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H
I absolutely cannot abide David Muir.he always sounds like his mother just died no matter what the story…that said..i really like Llamas..hes doing a great job and he had big shoes to fill!
17
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I
NBC News with Tom Llamas - stressed with his rush of clips of what he is about to share in the news...too much of this this this in the News.. Just get to the News...and relax tellling the news.....in my opinion..
11
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C
That music in the background, I just have to hit the mute button for that!
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D
He's doing a wonderful job. I look at him every night.
10
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E
Rarely turn to CBS anymore. ABC. Then NBC is my choice
6
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N
I miss Lester Holt so very much. Tom Llamas and his never ending intro to a correspondents report ending in a question with the rise in his sentence at the end. Why ask who what or where?. Just say the correspondents name from wherever s/he is reporting from. It drives me crazy. I know I could change the station but I refuse to watch CBS and ABC is boring to me.
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J
To me they just copy David Muir and ABC. Both shows are so repetitive and formulaic. Really hate CBS has turned into a RW propaganda platform. Miss Lester and Norah.
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S
Tony on CBS is now the best- he is not judgemental and, keeps his personal opinions to himself. He light and always has a funny at the end of the broadcast. He is refreshing to watch. 👍🏼
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N
👎🏻
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G
Bring back Lester. I hate "Yawn-mas". Lester sounded more relaxed, and was a lot less "doom and gloom" where as Yawn-mas is a ratings bitch and makes everything sound like its the end of the world.
2
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J
Why is Fox News not showing?
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N
They said news, not propaganda opinion trash.
6
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F
Because Fox doesn't know news. They spread propaganda and after being sued and losing to the tune of $700M for lying about the election I think everyone knows they're not a trusted source for news.
7
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J
The other 3 networks have been fined over the years too, not just Fox. You know the problem with TDS is you don't even know that you have it. Very sad....
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K
Because, we know abc, nbc, and cbs have much lower ratings compared to FOX!
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J
Tom Llamas has turned NBC news into a trashy, gossip based, sensationalize source of only vapid content. An example being coverage of Tony Romo's DWI or Phil Mickelson inappropriate behavior at a golf course takes greater precedence and greater coverage than world and national new!!!! Gossip makes the news headlines at the beginning of the news while, say, the Iran War gets barely a mention at the end of the broadcast.
HE MUST GO......NBC WILL NO LONGER BE A TRUSTED SOURCE OF NEWS AND CONTENT before too long.
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J
ABC,NBC. That's all that matters!!
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M
He is doing pretty good, but quit with the "Look at this"!!!
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