Tom Llamas to Serve as Primetime Anchor for NBC News Now Live-Streaming Service

Life is but a stream(ing news service) for Tom Llamas

The 41-year-old Cuban American broadcast journalist, a popular former ABC News anchor, has joined NBC News as a primetime anchor for its NBC News Now live-streaming service.

Tom Llamas

Llamas will work as a senior national correspondent and will also contribute reporting to the network’s flagship shows and breaking news and special events coverage.

The launch of his new show marks the first evening newscast for NBC News Now, which will face off against, among other competitors, a similar program anchored by Linsey Davis that is already running at ABC News — and which recently expanded its hours.  He will start May 3.

“Tom brings with him more than two decades of experience tenaciously covering the news across multiple platforms and for many different audiences,” said Noah Oppenheim, president of NBC News, in a prepared statement. “Our viewers expect us to bring them smart and trustworthy journalism, wherever they are, and we’re thrilled that Tom will be bringing his expertise and passion to NBC News, NBC News Now and beyond.”

Llamas had been working as a senior anchor at ABC News, leading its weekend World News Tonight broadcast and working as its chief national affairs correspondent. He also served as a breaking-news anchor for ABC News Live, that company’s live-streaming service. In January, however, he abruptly left the Walt Disney-backed news division, and the identity of his next employer had been one of the news industry’s worst-kept secrets.

Llamas began his reporting career with NBC News in 2000, serving first with the specials unit at NBC News and then as a political campaign reporter for MSNBC. He also worked at NBC Owned Stations as an investigative reporter and anchor at WNBC in New York and as a reporter for WTVJ in Miami.

His new assignment illustrates the new focus traditional TV-news outlets are placing on streaming video. NBC News launched NBC News Now in May of 2019 and in recent months has started to expand the live hours it offers as well as the personnel assigned to them.

Kirstin Maldonado & Her Pentatonix Group Mates to Perform at NBC’s “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” Tree Lighting Ceremony

Kirstin Maldonado is ready to light up the Christmas holidays…

The 26-year-old half-Mexican and part-Spanish American singer/songwriter and her Pentatonix group mates have been added to the star-studded lineup for NBC’s 86th annual Christmas in Rockefeller Center tree lighting, which will take place on November 28.

Kristin Maldonado & Pentatonix

In addition to Pentatonix, the a cappella group that has found great success with their holiday music, this year’s performers include Diana RossTony Bennett Diana KrallBrett Eldredge, Darci Lynne FarmerJohn LegendMartina McBride and Kellie Pickler, with more to be announced.

Howie Mandel will also make a special guest appearance, and NBC’s Today anchors Hoda Kotb, Savannah GuthrieAl Roker and Craig Melvin are hosting the anticipated holiday event.

NBC first televised the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting in 1951 on The Kate Smith Show, 20 years after it initially found itself a home on the plaza.

This year’s holiday tree is a 72-foot tall, 45-foot wide Norway Spruce that weighs over 12 tons and is around 75 years old. It will be wrapped in approximately five miles of wire containing over 50,000 multi-colored LEDs and topped with a 900-pound star covered in 3 million Swarovski crystals.

The tree lighting will be broadcast live on NBC November 28 at 8:00 pm ET. Select NBC stations will feature an additional special live hour of the broadcast hosted by Mario Lopez and WNBC’s Stefan Holt and Natalie Pasquarella at 7:00 pm ET.