CBS to Cancel ‘Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ after the next TV season (May 2026), citing a “financial decision.”

[☑︎#VoteDemocrat]

CBS to Cancel ‘Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ Citing ‘Financial Decision’

CBS said it planned to cancel Stephen Colbert's Late Show after next season, citing the weakening finances of late night

variety.com

CBS to Cancel ‘Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ Citing ‘Financial Decision’​

Summarize

Brian SteinbergJul 17, 2025 4:21pm PT

Scott Kowalchyk/CBS
TV’s ongoing problems with late night have come for Stephen Colbert, with CBS announcing Thursday that it plans to end his “Late Show” after the next TV season, citing a “financial decision.”

The decision — which ends years of original late-night programming at CBS that started when the network lured David Letterman from NBC in 1993 — comes as the economics of wee-hours TV have begun to accelerate, with media companies growing wary of the high price tags involved in producing the shows while the young viewers they try to attract watch more of them via digital video.

“We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and will retire ‘The Late Show’ franchise” in May of 2026,” CBS executives said in a statement. “We are proud that Stephen called CBS home. He and the broadcast will be remembered in the pantheon of greats that graced late night television. This is purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night. It is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.”

Colbert, who was informed of the network’s decision Wednesday evening, according to a person familiar with the matter, told the audience at the taping for Thursday’s broadcast about the matter.

There has been growing speculation that both Colbert and Jon Stewart, who hosts one broadcast of Comedy Central’s “Daily Show” each week could be under growing scrutiny from executives at Skydance Media, which is slated to acquire Paramount Global, the parent of both CBS and Comedy Central. David Ellison, who leads Skydance, has projected an image of being intrigued by the politics espoused by President Donald Trump, who Colbert and Stewart routinely skewer in monologues and commentary.

More to come….

 

[Crude]

Yall don’t think this has anything to do with him constantly going at Trump do you?

 

[Michael's Black Son]

Yikes!

 

[tay1]

Yall don’t think this has anything to do with him constantly going at Trump do you?

No. There's a growing audience who doesn't give a shyt about tv let alone late night tv.

 

[☑︎#VoteDemocrat]

Yall don’t think this has anything to do with him constantly going at Trump do you?

its cbs. not shocked

 

[Nabs]

There has been growing speculation that both Colbert and Jon Stewart, who hosts one broadcast of Comedy Central’s “Daily Show” each week could be under growing scrutiny from executives at Skydance Media, which is slated to acquire Paramount Global, the parent of both CBS and Comedy Central. David Ellison, who leads Skydance, has projected an image of being intrigued by the politics espoused by President Donald Trump, who Colbert and Stewart routinely skewer in monologues and commentary.

 

[Crude]

No. There's a growing audience who doesn't give a shyt about tv let alone late night tv.

I still watch network tv but I know a lot of younger folks don’t at all and will stream Netflix, Hulu, Prime, and other streaming platforms all day long.

 

[Vandelay]

No. There's a growing audience who doesn't give a shyt about tv let alone late night tv.

I used to love late night talk shows; Arsenio, Letterman, bytch ass Leno on occasion, Keenan, even Carson even though I know I was too young to remember the show outside of the theme... once Conan bounced from NBC, the format been wack. Podcasters took over and you get better interviews from that Howard Stern just let them talk format.

 

[Lil Bape the PostGod]

No. There's a growing audience who doesn't give a shyt about tv let alone late night tv.

Another person will get the same time slot though

 

[Dreamchaser]

This is 100% based on them trying to get the merger across the end zone. This is conditional on getting the deal done with skydance. Trump is making CBS go through hoops in order to get the deal approved.

He's has the highest rated late night show.

 

[42 Monks]

@Big Boss

 

[The Prince of All Saiyans]

word is he was just tryna buy CBS

 

[((ReFleXioN)) EteRNaL]

John Stewart and Colbert would prolly get way more views just making a podcast .....television is no longer needed at this point.

 

[HollywoodP]

Colbert will be fine. He should just go back to the Daily show.

 

[In The Zone '98]

NCIS taking that spot