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

[Mac Ten]

Sounds like he made too many Epstein jokes for Trump's liking. Colbert should make it a point to bring it up each time to piss off Trump.

Jimmy Fallon just a bunch of Trump jokes on his show for the last couple days….


I wouldnt be surprised if Donald Duck Trump be calling these industry cats with a infamous text like
THIS IS MAGA

 

[AKM-95]

Conan O’Brien losing out to Jimmy Fallon was it for me. Fallon is terrible and has always been terrible. Hiring The Roots did nothing for me

Oddly enough my grandma loved Jimmy Fallon's show when she was living. I always thought his show is okay but I was bigger Conan fan

I wonder who's gonna be the first to give one of these online personalities/streamers a shot...

 

[JulesMusic719]

Would be dope if he goes back to comedy Central and reboots Colbert Report

 

[Tribal Outkast]

Would be dope if he goes back to comedy Central and reboots Colbert Report

Still paramount so I don’t know

 

[The Prince of All Saiyans]

NCIS taking that spot

NCIS: Texas

 

[JulesMusic719]

Still paramount so I don’t know

Damn

 

[CJ]

Paramount sounds pretty thin skinned.

I think of my younger years and watching Simpsons, even X-Files and later Family Guy all poking fun at Fox. And despite Fox News being what it is, Fox never seemed to give a shyt, maybe because Simpsons made them boatloads of cash.
But even on the NBC side Jay Leno poking fun at NBC and their ratings all the time during his monologue, same with Conan also taking shots at them (for years, before the whole Jay/Conan handover drama)

Was the Colbert jokes that serious to can him? Lol. I guess different ball game when they are crafted around Epstein and Trump.

 

[beenz]

I mean it totally makes sense. hardly ANYONE watches these shows in 2025, and these late night host make exorbitant salaries

 

[GatorStaceyAdams]

I know it may be hard to believe for some of y'all, but not everyone watches youtube clips, podcast, etc...

These late night shows are consistent ad revenue generators, and rake in 2mm+ average viewers. They also air during very late weeknights, which would otherwise be dead air (i.e. lost revenue). And Colbert was the most popular of the bunch.

So no- this was not a 'financial decision'. This was a 'Business decision'.

 

[Tribal Outkast]

I know it may be hard to believe for some of y'all, but not everyone watches youtube clips, podcast, etc...

These late night shows are consistent ad revenue generators, and rake in 2mm+ average viewers. They also air during very late weeknights, which would otherwise be dead air (i.e. lost revenue). And Colbert was the most popular of the bunch.

So no- this was not a 'financial decision'. This was a 'Business decision'.

My mother in law watched Colbert. She’s 75. It’ll be interesting to see what they replace him with

 

[Max Power]

He can always get a job in Pfizer's marketing department.

 

[tremonthustler1]

I mean it totally makes sense. hardly ANYONE watches these shows in 2025, and these late night host make exorbitant salaries

so CBS broke now?

Fact is that while young people don't really watch late night shows, young people don't really like anything. Everyone wants to stream but now that shyt's gonna cost the same if not more than cable eventually. Cut cords brehs. Resourceful brehs like ourselves will find a way to try to watch something for free, but I get why older people get sick of trying to configure shyt.


But the impending doom of late night talk shows was just that, impending. NBC kept Fallon and Meyers but they'll be the last ones to host those shows. Kimmel's damn near done. Nobody else even tries anymore. It's like soap operas. Now there's only 4 main ones left on over the air TV. That shyt used to dominate daytime TV. We used to watch other people dance all day. Now kids watch other people play video games or just do nothing. There used to be talk shows on top of talk shows. Now it's just Steve Wilkos and even he's now doing DNA tests like Maury (side note: if he had the Epstein list, his show would last 30 more years)

At my age I've just jumped into podcasts (and they're 80% sports related) minus a few shows I still fukk with. The rest of it is just sports and whatever music I'm playing at the time.

 

[tremonthustler1]

My mother in law watched Colbert. She’s 75. It’ll be interesting to see what they replace him with

Reruns or paid programming

Networks are basically saying after the news is over, you can either go to their streaming services and binge watch whatever if you're still up or go to sleep cuz the channel itself ain't feeding you.

 

[Fillerguy]

A purely financial decision. His show is the most popular late night show on television. Its gaining viewership. Its more popular now than its ever been.


Ignore Trump blocking the Paramount merger then suddenly letting it go through.
Ignore how often Colbert dunks on Trump.
Ignore how Trump is strong arming the media into stopping negative criticism of him.
Ignore how ppl at CBS are quiting in protest to CBS bending the knee to Trump.
Ignore how the skydancs CEO David Ellison is a Trump butt-sniffer.

The financials just weren't financialing.

 

[Scottie Drippin]

CBS settled with Trump so that he wouldnt use the FCC to block their upcoming merger. Colbert criticized them for that and now next thing we see

Writers Guild Demands Investigation Into Stephen Colbert ‘Late Show’ Cancellation, Has ‘Significant Concerns’ About Bribery at Paramount

The WGA has issued a statement calling for a bribery investigation following CBS' cancellation of 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.'

variety.com