Stephen Colbert's 'The Late Show' canceled on CBS: 'A financial decision'

[mystery-ak]

Oh happy days!

CBS cancels 'The Late Show,' Stephen Colbert to end program in May 2026
Stephen Colbert broke the news to his audience during Thursday's taping
By Joseph A. Wulfsohn Fox News
Published July 17, 2025 7:38pm EDT

CBS' "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" will be ending in 2026, the network announced Thursday.

"'THE LATE SHOW with STEPHEN COLBERT' will end its historic run in May 2026 at the end of the broadcast season," CBS said in a statement. "We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and will retire 'THE LATE SHOW' franchise at that time. 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."

CBS said it was "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night," adding, "It is not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount."

"I found out just last night, next year will be our last season," host Stephen Colbert told his studio audience in a video posted on Instagram. "The network will be ending ‘The Late Show’ in May."

"It's not just the end of our show, but it's the end of ‘The Late Show’ on CBS. I'm not being replaced. This is all just going away," Colbert continued.

In the clip released by "The Late Show," Colbert's audience could be heard booing the announcement.

"I do want to say that the folks at CBS have been great partners," Colbert said. "I'm so grateful to the Tiffany network for giving me this chair and this beautiful theater to call home. And of course, I'm grateful to you, the audience, who have joined us every night in here, out there, all around the world."

"The Late Show," which Colbert took over in 2015, leaned into liberal politics in the Trump era and had became a major platform for Democratic politicians. Last month, Colbert welcomed New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani before the socialist hopeful clinched the Democratic nomination.

more
https://www.foxnews.com/media/cbs-cancels-the-late-show-stephen-colbert-end-program-may-2026

[rustynail]

Stephen Colbert's annual salary as the host of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" is reported to be $15 million per year.

 Over the years, his salary has grown substantially, reflecting his success and the show's popularity. In addition to his salary, Colbert's net worth is estimated to be around $75 million, which includes earnings from his various ventures and investments.

[mountaineer]

Why keep him on another week, let alone 9 or 10 months?

[Wingnut]

Why keep him on another week, let alone 9 or 10 months?

In the normal world when you are fired you are escorted out of the building. 

[mystery-ak]

Jimmy Kimmel Lashes out at CBS for Canceling Colbert: ‘F**k You’

Jimmy Kimmel has rushed to back fellow left-wing talk show host Stephen Colbert, letting loose with a spray of foul-mouthed invective as the latter faces the demise of his eponymous Late Show.

https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2025/07/18/jimmy-kimmel-lashes-out-at-cbs-for-canceling-colbert-fk-you/

[mystery-ak]

Democrat Senators Freak After CBS Cancels Colbert’s ‘Late Show’: ‘A Political Favor’

Democrat senators freaked out over CBS canceling Stephen Colbert’s Late Show, insinuating the move was made for political reasons by bizarrely suggesting the Trump administration is somehow concerned about the comedian’s content.

https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2025/07/18/democrat-senators-freak-after-cbs-cancels-colberts-late-show-a-political-favor/

[Wingnut]

Jimmy Kimmel Lashes out at CBS for Canceling Colbert: ‘F**k You’

Jimmy Kimmel has rushed to back fellow left-wing talk show host Stephen Colbert, letting loose with a spray of foul-mouthed invective as the latter faces the demise of his eponymous Late Show.

https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2025/07/18/jimmy-kimmel-lashes-out-at-cbs-for-canceling-colbert-fk-you/

Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy.  You are next unfunny crying man baby.

[DefiantMassRINO]

If Paramount wanted their merger with SkyDance to go through, they had to make a sacrifice at the altar of MAGA.  Colbert was that sacrifice.

The corporate consolidation of media is a contributing factor to the current state of our politics because new voices do not have an opporunity to be heard.  The corporate interests align themselves with those in power because that's in the 'best interest of the shareholders' (the value of the Board's and Executives' stock options).

Vulture Capitalism is not about creating new value; it's about extracting and concentrating exisitng value into the hands of kleptocratic oligarchs.

[Bigun]

Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy.  You are next unfunny crying man baby.

From your keyboard to God's ear!

[Wingnut]

From your keyboard to God's ear!

You know who would make a good replacement.  Someone like Shane Gillis.  He is an equal opportunity offender.

[Bigun]

You know who would make a good replacement.  Someone like Shane Gillis.  He is an equal opportunity offender.

Never heard of him but I trust your judgement!

[mountaineer]

Perhaps if Colbert had tried just once to say or do something amusing, but NO, it was TrumpTrumpTrump, all the time.

https://twitter.com/mazemoore/status/1946254466014994901

[jmyrlefuller]

The Democrats are now up in arms at CBS alleging that Trump had extorted CBS and Skydance into firing Colbert. The word "bribery" is getting tossed around. There's just one problem with that: the Democrats themselves loved bribery when CBS was paying Andrew Cuomo's campaign account in exchange for custom-designed tax credits to keep The Late Show in New York.

Second, late-night TV is a dying, bloated format and time slot. Advertisers have been running away from the time slot for several years now; overall, ad money is down by half in just seven years. These shows have to maintaining a huge theater, the host, announcer, house band, production and writing staff (all union), and put out content five days a week whether the news cycle warrants it or not. It's no surprise that the one sustainable program, Fox News's Gutfeld!, is basically him and a few other regulars shooting the bull in front of a small studio audience.

You're not going to be able to pull off Johnny Carson style production without Johnny Carson level viewership, and the days of that are OVER and have been for years. People can watch DVR, stuff on Netflix, or they can just go to sleep... and let's face it, most late-night TV ages poorly. That's not so much true with the older stuff. You can watch Carson reruns, or the early work of David Letterman, today and it's still engaging, funny television. I wish more of the repertoire of Steve Allen and Jack Paar were still available.

Today's hosts don't give any reason for people to watch them. Jimmy Fallon is a lame, bloated nightmare full of stale routines; if it were not for the fact that it's The Tonight Show, the holy grail of late-night talk, and not for Lorne Michaels's stubbornly forcing Fallon upon the rest of the country, he'd've been the first to go.

The future of late-night TV is bleak. It's going to need smaller, more intimate formats.

[corbe]

10 Cringiest Moments Of Stephen Colbert’s Career As An Unfunny Democrat Mouthpiece

By: Beth Brelje
July 18, 2025

Here is a look back at 10 times Stephen Colbert used The Late Show to brainwash viewers and peddle leftist talking points.

Stephen Colbert’s career is effectively over. CBS canceled both Colbert and The Late Show with an end date in May 2026. There will be no new host, which is fine because the tradition of a bit of live humor before bedtime died long ago at CBS.

When he hosted The Colbert Report on Comedy Central, Colbert was still capable of humor. Back then, viewers who didn’t agree with him were willing to stay up late and watch anyway, because he was funny.   

But when he took over the CBS Late Show in 2015, Colbert left comedy behind and became a full-time propagandist, more often offending people who didn’t share his political views.

Colbert will be 62 when the show ends, but he won’t need to put in for early Social Security. He reportedly earns $15 million annually. The only explanation for past contract extensions after Colbert proved himself no longer funny is that CBS didn’t necessarily want comedy. It wanted someone willing to spread propaganda, and Colbert did that very well. Here is a look back at 10 times Stephen Colbert used The Late Show to brainwash viewers and peddle leftist talking points.

1. The Jab Jive   

<..snip..>

https://thefederalist.com/2025/07/18/10-cringiest-moments-of-stephen-colberts-career-as-an-unfunny-democrat-mouthpiece/

[Cyber Liberty]

How many people get fired with 10 month notices?  That CEO caught on the kiss cam was out in less than a day.

[jmyrlefuller]

How many people get fired with 10 month notices?  That CEO caught on the kiss cam was out in less than a day.

Steve did have a three-year contract. Easier to wait that out and tell him they're not renewing than to try to cut it off early.

[Cyber Liberty]

Steve did have a three-year contract. Easier to wait that out and tell him they're not renewing than to try to cut it off early.

It's being reported that the show is losing millions in revenues with him on.  It might be "easier" to wait out the contract, but it's a lot more expensive than paying him off and running re-runs of some reality show.

[Wingnut]

Mabe CBS could return to showing


Or showing repeats of Kojak, Banacek, and Kolchak: The Night Stalker!

[Cyber Liberty]

Mabe CBS could return to showing


Or showing repeats of Kojak, Banacek, and Kolchak: The Night Stalker!

MeTV owns Kolchak....but you get the idea.  Any of those will outperform Colbert.

[Wingnut]

MeTV owns Kolchak....but you get the idea.  Any of those will outperform Colbert.

And cheaper too!

[Cyber Liberty]

And cheaper too!

Practically free, yes, and that will turn a profit for the network.

[jmyrlefuller]

It's being reported that the show is losing millions in revenues with him on.  It might be "easier" to wait out the contract, but it's a lot more expensive than paying him off and running re-runs of some reality show.

Except they'd probably still have to pay that 200-person staff for the remainder of the contract, whether they cancel the show or not. At least this way they can squeeze as much revenue out of it as they can, even if it doesn't cover expenses. Basically the expenses are staying pretty much put and they won't save anything by stopping production before the contract's up. But the next few months are going to be... well... awkward. Good news for CBS is that all this buzz may drive up interest even more.

It's not like they have a new program in the wings that will instantly make more money than they're getting from The Late Show.

[Ghost Bear]

Mabe CBS could return to showing


Or showing repeats of Kojak, Banacek, and Kolchak: The Night Stalker!

I remember those days.  Didn't they also show NBA playoff games in that time slot too, during the playoff season?

[txradioguy]

Colbert has never been funny.  Not when he was doing his imitation of Bill O'Reilly on The Daily Show or after he took over for Letterman.


Watching the left lose their mind over his cancellation is hilarious.

[txradioguy]

It's being reported that the show is losing millions in revenues with him on.  It might be "easier" to wait out the contract, but it's a lot more expensive than paying him off and running re-runs of some reality show.

The show is losing $40 million a year on a production budget of $100 million.  Colbert makes $15 million a year to host.

[jmyrlefuller]

Colbert has never been funny.  Not when he was doing his imitation of Bill O'Reilly on The Daily Show or after he took over for Letterman.


Watching the left lose their mind over his cancellation is hilarious.

Hey! Long time no see... welcome back

[Wingnut]

I remember those days.  Didn't they also show NBA playoff games in that time slot too, during the playoff season?

I think you are correct.  Back then the PO NBA games were not shown on Tape Delay not live like today.
@Ghost Bear

[txradioguy]

Hey! Long time no see... welcome back

Howdy! Thanks!

[Lando Lincoln]

The show is losing $40 million a year on a production budget of $100 million.  Colbert makes $15 million a year to host.

Great to see you, friend.

[txradioguy]

Great to see you, friend.

Hey Lando! Feeling is mutual!

[mystery-ak]

Video: Jon Stewart Enlists Gospel Choir to Sing ‘Go F**k Yourself’ to Trump, Paramount over Colbert Cancelation

Always classy Jon Stewart enlisted profanity and abuse as he tore into CBS’ decision to cancel The Late Show With Stephen Colbert on Monday’s episode of The Daily Show, spraying obscenities at their shared parent company, Paramount Global, for what he called capitulation to an omnipotent President Donald Trump.
https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2025/07/22/video-jon-stewart-enlists-gospel-choir-to-sing-go-fk-yourself-to-trump-paramount-over-colbert-cancelation/

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/BreitbartNews/status/1947431516536995941

https://twitter.com/greg_price11/status/1947503584977031450

[txradioguy]

You know...no one ever really knew it when he was on the air...but Carson was to the left of Colbert...but not only did he poke fun at both sides of the political spectrum...he had both sides on his show.

The current crop of late-night hosts have forgotten that Republicans as well as Democrats watch late night TV and become just another mouthpiece for the DNC and people have tuned them out.

Not to mention late night shows are a reminder of a bygone era that's been passed up in the era of online streaming and social media.

[Cyber Liberty]

At this rate, Colby might see his show over before next May if he can't stop the potty mouth.

[txradioguy]

At this rate, Colby might see his show over before next May if he can't stop the potty mouth.

Nah the Libs thinks that the new edgy way to attract young male voters back to the party.

[Bigun]

You know...no one ever really knew it when he was on the air...but Carson was to the left of Colbert...but not only did he poke fun at both sides of the political spectrum...he had both sides on his show.

The current crop of late-night hosts have forgotten that Republicans as well as Democrats watch late night TV and become just another mouthpiece for the DNC and people have tuned them out.

Not to mention late night shows are a reminder of a bygone era that's been passed up in the era of online streaming and social media.

I never had an inkling and watched a lot in my younger years. He and Ed McMann were genuinely funny.

[txradioguy]

I never had an inkling and watched a lot in my younger years. He and Ed McMann were genuinely funny.

I didn't realize he was until after he retired.

He was just smart about it.  He realized that it wasn't just one side of the political spectrum that watched his show and so...why alienate them?

And yes they were genuinely funny.

[mountaineer]

If Colbert's platform is taken away, wherever will we be?!? Who will "speak truth to power" with such authority and eloquence?

https://twitter.com/redsteeze/status/1946717131376411068

[Cyber Liberty]

Nah the Libs thinks that the new edgy way to attract young male voters back to the party.

At some point he's gonna piss off the suits running the network, and the show will be cancelled, contract or not.

[GtHawk]

Colbert has never been funny.  Not when he was doing his imitation of Bill O'Reilly on The Daily Show or after he took over for Letterman.


Watching the left lose their mind over his cancellation is hilarious.

It always seemed to me that he stole Phil Hartman’s persona………very very badly, but when you have no talent what else ya gonna do?

[txradioguy]

It always seemed to me that he stole Phil Hartman’s persona………very very badly, but when you have no talent what else ya gonna do?

The best performance I've ever seen him do on television was an episode of Law and Order Criminal Intent where he played a document forger.  Which seems appropriate since his whole career has been a fraud.

[txradioguy]

You're not going to be able to pull off Johnny Carson style production without Johnny Carson level viewership,

Carson was pulling in 9 million viewers a night.  The week he retired that number was 19 million.

Colbert barely pulls in more viewers than Rachel Maddow.

[Sighlass]

Youtube did their best to push Colbert (recommended videos).... but it seems even they failed.

[Wingnut]

I see all his late-night hosting pal were in attendance at his show last night for moral support.

Looked to me like a Losers Club meeting of who will be fired next.
Kimmel
Fallon
Stewart
John Oliver?  Does that asswipe still have a show?
Seth Meyers.

[Ghost Bear]

I think you are correct.  Back then the PO NBA games were not shown on Tape Delay not live like today.
@Ghost Bear

Yes! I thought so, but it was 40+ years ago, and I wasn't 100% sure if it was the network's doing or my local channel's doing.  I remember staying up late to watch some classic games in that 10:30pm CST time slot. Lakers vs. Celtics, the last playoff run of Dr. J, and more. Good times.