Report: Tensions High At NBC As Lester Holt’s Ratings Slip

David Muir and Lester Holt

ABC News has been crowing about its flagship “World News Tonight With David Muir” taking the gold medal during the Winter Olympics, putting rival Lester Holt and his “NBC Nightly News” in the silver spot.

But sources tell Page Six at The NYPost, that, with Muir passing Holt in overall audience and closing the gap in the all-important 25-to-54-year-old demographic, Holt’s bosses at NBC are beginning to sweat. And to make things even more awkward, Brian Williams — whom Holt replaced on “Nightly News” after Williams was caught telling fibs on the air — is a smash hit at his new gig at MSNBC.

Meanwhile, sources tell us that if Holt’s stats were ever to get into terminal territory and the network needed to make a change in the anchor’s chair, the Peacock Network’s recent crises would put them in a major bind.

An NBC News insider said, “Lester is beloved at the network, is doing outstanding work, and has ‘Nightly News’s’ longest-winning demo streak in over 4 ¹/₂ years.” Industry insiders were at pains to point out that Muir only beat Holt in parts of the country where their shows aired at the same time during the games, because Holt has been on early in some areas due to sports coverage.