Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesLester Holt left the NBC Nightly News anchor chair to take on a full-time role anchoring Dateline NBC. NBC selected Tom Llamas as his successor in March 2025; Llamas took over that summer. Holt’s public announcement described a change in his work at NBC, not a departure from the network.
Why did Lester Holt leave the anchor chair?
Holt announced on February 24, 2025, that he would step away from anchoring NBC Nightly News after 10 years in the weekday role—or 17 years when his weekend anchoring years are included. He said he wanted to devote himself to Dateline NBC, where he would work full time and take on a broader role, including crafting episodes about subjects he cares deeply about. Holt’s announcement on NBC News describes that decision directly.
NBC News executive Janelle Rodriguez likewise characterized the move as a transition to a dedicated full-time role at Dateline. Neither Holt’s announcement nor Rodriguez’s statement cited retirement, illness, a dispute, ratings, or a wish to leave journalism. Those explanations should not be inferred from the role change.
Who replaced Lester Holt?
NBC named Tom Llamas the next NBC Nightly News anchor and managing editor on March 5, 2025. The appointment resolved the question of who might take over: Llamas was selected, rather than being merely one of several possible candidates. NBC’s announcement of Llamas’s appointment said he would continue hosting Top Story with Tom Llamas on NBC News NOW.
#1 Best Overall
What Tom Llamas brought to the role
At the time NBC announced his appointment, Llamas was a senior national correspondent for NBC News, host of Top Story, a regular fill-in anchor for NBC Nightly News, and a regular reporter for TODAY. Before returning to NBC in 2021, he worked at ABC as chief national affairs correspondent and anchored weekend editions of ABC World News Tonight. NBC also cited his reporting on major national and international events and interviews with world leaders.
The change therefore put a journalist already working across NBC’s broadcast and streaming news programs in the anchor and managing editor role. It was a succession within NBC News, not Holt’s exit from the organization.
Rank #2
When did the handoff happen?
NBC’s February announcement said Holt planned to leave the chair around the start of summer, and the March appointment announcement said Llamas would begin that summer. An NBC New York report’s search-result summary later gave May 30, 2025, as Holt’s final broadcast and June 2 as Llamas’s first. Because those specific dates come from the summary of a page that was not accessible, they are best treated as later reported dates; NBC’s official announcements establish the planned summer transition.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #3
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
