ABC’s ‘World News Tonight’ maintains visual identity in move to Hudson Square facility

ABC’s “World News Tonight with David Muir” broadcast from its new studio at Hudson Square for the first time on Friday, March 7.

Located within The Walt Disney Company’s newly constructed New York City headquarters, the program joins other ABC productions such as “The View”, “ABC News Live” and “World News Now” that have already relocated to the facility.

As the most-watched evening news program in the United States, “World News Tonight” opted not to stray far from its successful design formula.

Studio 4E maintains visual continuity with the broadcast’s previous home at ABC News’ former broadcast center on West 66th Street, featuring an abstract skyline view and extensive LED display technology throughout the space.

The studio features a refined version of the show’s previous L-shaped desk, wrapped in LED technology, with a large curved LED display floating behind the anchor position. The design elements preserve the familiar aesthetic viewers associate with the nightly newscast such as the world map behind Muir and moody skyline.

Photos courtesy of ABC News/Michael Le Brecht II.

Two additional tracking displays are positioned on either side of the anchor area. These flanking video displays will be utilized in the coming weeks as more of the studio is utilized, such as for integrating reporters from the field for tosses and debriefs, an ABC News source noted to NewscastStudio. 

Additional LED elements create a ceiling piece that wraps the studio with further integrated lighting elements.

The technical infrastructure includes more than 100 automated moving lights throughout the space, allowing for varied lighting configurations for different broadcast needs.

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Studio 4E will also house “This Week With George Stephanopoulos” and serve as a base for special event coverage, including election programming. 

The new studio was designed by Seth Easter, with lighting design by Dennis Size of The Lighting Design Group and Fuse Technical Group providing AV integration using LED from DetaiLED Solutions.

The relocation is part of parent company Disney’s broader consolidation of New York operations into the new Hudson Square facility. ABC News had operated from its previous Upper West Side location for several decades.

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The 7 Hudson Square address, officially named the Robert A. Iger Building, occupies an entire city block and will house a wide range of company operations, including news, editorial, live productions, streaming, technology, advertising, corporate and business support functions by summer 2026.