NBC Teases Tom Llamas’ Takeover of ‘NBC Nightly News’

NBC has unveiled a promotional teaser for Tom Llamas’ debut as NBC Nightly News anchor on June 2, 2025, highlighting the broadcast’s storied history.

The promo draws from NBC News archives, featuring past solo anchors John Chancellor, Tom Brokaw, and Brian Williams, alongside current anchor Lester Holt, who together represent the program’s primary anchor lineage. Notably, David Brinkley and Frank McGee, former co-anchors, are omitted.

The spot emphasizes Llamas’ familiarity to Nightly viewers through clips of his prior reporting for the broadcast. Over images of Holt and Llamas, on-screen text reads, “Legacy isn’t handed down … it’s carried forward.” Uplifting music accompanies dynamic footage of Llamas reporting from war zones and natural disaster sites, reinforcing his field experience. A brief archival shot of Holt on an older Nightly News set bridges past and present.

The promo concludes with the announcer stating, “From one era to the next … trust is the anchor,” paired with a title card, cleverly playing on “anchor” as both a news role and a symbol of stability. Holt’s final Nightly News broadcast is May 30, 2025, after which he will focus on Dateline at NBC.