The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Ending May 21, CBS Retiring Late-Night Franchise [Archive] - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC

07-17-2025, 08:09 PM

https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/cbs-cancel-late-show-stephen-colbert-financial-decision-1236464356/

By Brian Steinberg

TV’s ongoing problems (https://www.lipstickalley.com/threads/the-late-show-w-stephen-colbert-has-been-canceled-to-end-in-may-2026-cbs-cites-financial-decision.5943898/) with late night (https://forums.primetimer.com/topic/149388-lssc-season-ten-episode-talk/page/8/) have come for Stephen Colbert, with CBS announcing Thursday (https://www.resetera.com/threads/%E2%80%98the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert%E2%80%99-ending-next-year-with-cbs-retiring-late-night-franchise.1246800/) that it plans to end his “Late Show” (https://www.reddit.com/r/television/comments/1m2ml9f/the_late_show_with_stephen_colbert_ending_next/) after the next TV season (https://radiodiscussions.com/threads/late-show-ending-may-2026.777267/), citing a “financial decision.” (https://www.datalounge.com/thread/35723721-the-late-show-on-cbs-is-dead-to-me)

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.

CBS has already been winding down its activity around midnight. The network recently cancelled “After Midnight,” a companion program that aired after “Late Show” and featured comedian Taylor Tomlinson. She decided to leave to focus on her own stand-up shows, even though CBS had sought a third season of the show.

More to come….

DMOhWKsxT_G

07-17-2025, 11:23 PM

I tried watching him a few times, but I just don't find him very entertaining. He's not as funny as David Letterman.

There's no way this was because of purely financial reasons. It wasn't because of the ratings either. Their YouTube channel has almost 10 million subscribers. It seems like most people watch the late night shows online these days.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GwGSLj2boAAzHH4?format=jpg&name=small

AuqEZx6TmfI

opus

07-17-2025, 11:32 PM

The only way to truly talk about what’s going down is to get political. So we won’t talk about it.

Babalu

07-18-2025, 03:24 PM

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

CBS cancels 'The Late Show,' Stephen Colbert to end program in May 2026

CBS will cancel "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" in 2026, the network announced Thursday, insisting it’s a "financial decision" and has nothing to do with a looming ownership change.

"'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."

YEAH BABY!!! :D:D:D

He STUNK!

Unfunny bum.

Bye bye! :D:D:D

sm95fan

07-18-2025, 03:55 PM

Babalu

07-18-2025, 04:00 PM

The only way to truly talk about what’s going down is to get political. So we won’t talk about it.

The show doesn't make enough money. It's as simple as that.

I know everyone will want to pretend that CBS is doing this to placate Trump, but Trump will be gone in 3 years.

Johnny Carson had between 15-20 million people watching every night, when we had half the number of people in the country.

10% of the population watched Johnny Carson. This guy has less than 1% of the population and he's the big winner!

That's why the show's being cancelled.

Pretending otherwise doesn't make it true.

stevea

07-18-2025, 04:08 PM

'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."

Historic? Greats?

I guess we're used to overblown rhetoric, but this is ridiculous. Carson - historic, great. Colbert? Get real.

All these late night shows probably won't make it with 2 million or fewer viewers. So I look for more of these cancellations.

Babalu

07-18-2025, 04:12 PM

TMC

07-18-2025, 07:11 PM

Stephen Colbert's Cancellation Sounds A Terrifying Death Toll For Late Night TV (https://screenrant.com/the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-cancelation-death-toll-for-late-night-tv/)

The cancellation (https://www.reddit.com/r/OutOfTheLoop/comments/1m2r05a/whats_the_deal_with_cbs_canceling_the_late_show/) of The Late Show (https://www.reddit.com/r/LateShow/comments/1m2mm3u/cbs_is_canceling_the_show/) with (https://officialfan.proboards.com/thread/639976/late-show-stephen-colbert-next) Stephen Colbert (https://www.reddit.com/r/stephencolbert/comments/1m2n080/cbs_cancelling_colbert/) sends a chilling message to the rest of late night, financially and politically.

It's hard to believe CBS canceling Stephen Colbert’s Late Show is "purely a financial decision" (https://latenighter.com/features/cbs-cites-costs-in-colbert-cancellation-the-timing-tells-a-different-story/)

It’s hard to shake the feeling that the late-night talk show format is dying a slow death (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/cbs-colbert-late-show-cancel-profit-tv-1236319484/)

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert's cancelation could lead to its first-ever Emmy win (https://variety.com/2025/tv/awards/colbert-emmys-late-show-cancellation-1236464884/)

Trump celebrates Stephen Colbert's cancelation (https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2025-07-18/trump-colbert-why-late-show-canceled-kimmel-fallon)

Charles Knox

07-18-2025, 09:08 PM

Babalu

07-19-2025, 07:49 AM

https://nypost.com/2025/07/18/media/cbs-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-is-more-than-just-a-financial-loss/

CBS canned ‘The Late Show’ over tens of millions in financial losses annually — not Stephen Colbert’s politics: sources

CBS brass say they pulled the plug on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” because of its punishing losses — pegged between $40 million and $50 million a year — and claim politics had nothing to do with it, The Post has learned.

The 61-year-old host got canned just days after he took a dig at the Tiffany Network over its $16 million settlement with Donald Trump over a controversial “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris as the network’s parent Paramount negotiates with the Trump administration regulatory approval for its $8 billion sale to independent studio Skydance.

But scathing jokes at the expense of CBS brass wasn’t the problem, according to insiders.

Instead, the network’s bosses could no longer stomach the fact that Colbert has been plagued with an increasingly dire shortage of advertisers.

That’s despite Colbert’s No, 1 ratings in his time slot and his status as a key face for the Tiffany Network.

In the end, Paramount’s co-CEO George Cheeks decided to kill the show, sources said.

“Colbert gets no advertising and late night is a tough spot,” said a person with direct knowledge of CBS’s decision.

“Colbert might be No. 1, but who watches late night TV anymore?”

Today, there are articles all over the internet about the staggering losses for this show. Even the NY Times wrote a story about it yesterday.

When he ruled late night TV, Johnny Caron was responsible for about 15% of the profits for the entire NBC network. That's amazing. Now this guy Colbert loses $40-$50 million a year. Who wouldn't cancel him? What the Late Show became under him and why he chased viewers away is a disgrace, but it's now a fact. None of the late night network shows are successful because they've chosen not to be. Whenever Johnny Carson was questioned about his political opinions, he would say, "That's not what I'm there for. I'm there to entertain people." Yet that lesson has been lost over time by network executives that sought this type of show out which alienated audiences because it was their own personal preference.

Duster76

07-19-2025, 02:21 PM

Anyone trying to make this about anything more than business as usual isn't being real. I wrote about this more than a year ago the Gutfeld format is the way to go. A cost effective structure that reflects the contemporary realities of the business. Colbert has a staff of 106 with Colbert pulling down 15 million, Gutfeld who outdraws Colbert by more than a million has a salary of 7 million and that's for two shows (The Five and Gutfeld). NBC and ABC will be following in short order.

07-19-2025, 02:48 PM

TMC

07-19-2025, 05:02 PM

I think it was money. The Network can't keep pumping money into a show that is losing money.

People talk like the Network kicked him out the next day. He's going to be on until mid-next year. It's not like they got mad and kicked him out of the building because of what he said about Trump.

Late Show with Colbert Lost $40 million per year (https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/colbert-is-latest-casualty-late-night-tvs-fade-out-2025-07-19/)

“Fifteen years ago, a popular late-night show like “The Tonight Show” could earn $100 million a year, the executive said. Recently, though, “The Late Show (https://www.neogaf.com/threads/cbs-to-cancel-%E2%80%98late-show-with-stephen-colbert%E2%80%99-citing-%E2%80%98financial-decision%E2%80%99.1686430/)” has been losing $40 million a year, said a person briefed on the matter. The show's ad revenue plummeted to $70.2 million last year from $121.1 million in 2018, according to ad tracking firm Guideline. Ratings for Colbert’s show peaked at 3.1 million viewers on average during the 2017-18 season, according to Nielsen data.”

TMC

07-19-2025, 05:48 PM

Why is CBS giving up The Late Show brand for nothing at all? (https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2025/07/late-show-stephen-colbert-canceled-cbs/683602/)

The surprise cancellation of The Late Show is just the latest blow to the genre.

By David Sims

July 18, 2025, 4:23 PM ET

When CBS embarked on the project of replacing David Letterman as the host of The Late Show, in 2014, the network spared no expense. It hired Stephen Colbert, who had collected Emmys and acclaim while hosting his Comedy Central talk show, The Colbert Report; gave him total creative control; and fully revamped Manhattan’s Ed Sullivan Theater so Colbert could make the show’s longtime venue his own. After a shaky first year, Colbert found his footing in the lead-up to the 2016 election by focusing his opening monologues more pointedly on politics. The Late Show soon became the highest-rated talk show in America—a crown it has not relinquished since.

Ten years on, CBS has snatched the crown off its head. The network appears to have grown so dismayed with the state of late-night television that it has unceremoniously canceled one of the genre’s most successful stalwarts: In a statement last night, CBS announced that not only will this season of The Late Show—set to air through May 2026—be the program’s last, but the franchise will also be retired entirely. (“We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable,” the statement offers as explanation.) The decision quickly prompted plenty of speculation among industry observers, given Colbert’s recent, unvarnished scorn for CBS’s parent company, Paramount, after it settled a lawsuit with Donald Trump; the president had accused 60 Minutes, the network’s venerated TV newsmagazine, of deceptively editing an election-season interview with Kamala Harris. (CBS News, which produces 60 Minutes, denied the claim.) But whether or not there was some political motivation behind the cancellation (the network called the reason purely financial), the underlying point is clear: The Late Show is no longer valuable enough for CBS to bother protecting it.

As the business of television changes, late-night talk shows have found themselves in a particularly awkward spot. For one, people have stopped flocking to linear television as their evenings wind down. If they do turn the TV on, it’s often to check out what’s new to stream rather than to put up with a somewhat staid format interrupted by many commercial breaks. The customary celebrity chats and musical performances typically appear online not long after they air, and said celebrities now have many other outlets for plugging their projects: video podcasts, YouTube shows. The cost of producing one of those alternatives is also far smaller than the budget for a glitzy affair like The Late Show.

Paramount sold out Stephen Colbert for cheap (https://slate.com/technology/2025/07/stephen-colbert-late-show-canceled-paramount-skydance-merger-explained.html)

Is this the death of the late night US chat show? (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwye2w5n5q8o)

stevea

07-19-2025, 11:22 PM

Sgt. Saunders

07-20-2025, 05:19 PM

Maybe CBS can replace the aloof and controversial Mr. Colbert with someone far more pleasant and cordial, like say, Alec Baldwin, Andrew Cuomo, the Reverend Al Sharpton or George Stephanopoulos?

Edward216

07-20-2025, 06:25 PM

Good riddance to subversive liberal crap! :wave::mad::thumbsdowpuke:

Ed.

Duster76

07-20-2025, 11:40 PM

One has to wonder what came first here, the chicken or the egg. Colbert's contract is up in 2026, specifically the summer of 2026 perhaps CBS was contractually obligated to inform Colbert a year in advance of their intentions. Based on the article TMC linked from Slate "Paramount sold out Stephen Colbert for cheap", the feedback from CBS clearly laid out their concerns over the financial viability of the show. The feedback Colbert's business people were getting was in all likelihood suggesting CBS was not picking up the option. So Colbert rips Paramount earlier in the week figuring he'd force their hands and maybe come off looking like some kind of martyr.

CBS taking a wrecking ball to The Late Show may in fact be a way for them to possibly rebuild a late night show in the future. That show will look nothing like The Late Show and will not be conscripted to be budgeted in any way, shape or form like The Late Show. "Gutfeld" has a staff of 20, The Late Show 200, Gutfeld makes 7 million for "Gutfeld" and his cohosting duties on "The Five", Colbert is making 15 million for hosting The Late Show. No one needs to go any further than that to understand Paramount's reasoning in this matter.

Hawkee

07-21-2025, 02:39 AM

In my eyes I think CBS is looking for fresh talent to give their late night talk shows better ratings and this might be the reason why The Late Show is ending. Because when you get the general picture when David Letterman and Craig Ferguson were the kings of late night TV for CBS they garnered CBS huge ratings. But once David Letterman retired from The Late Show it all went downhill and when Craig Ferguson retired from the Late Late Show and was replaced by James Corden that show was ruined for good. And basically I think why James Corden was chosen to host The Late Late Show was so he could make himself a giant household name in America and he did by being a animated voice actor voicing a characters such as Biggie in Trolls and High 5 in The Emoji Movie and being in Keurig commercials and when you get the general picture James Corden was trying to copy the late Regis Philbin. But I think CBS will develop a late night game show and put it in The Late Show's timeslot once the show ends because game shows seem to draw audiences than talk shows these days

James28

07-21-2025, 11:56 AM

I do not have the slightest idea how excusable a "Big Three" American broadcast network deciding to kill its late-night franchise is. If the reports of CBS's The Late Show being that big a money-loser for the network are true, then this cancellation sounds more like deadlocking than anything else. Under that logic, how easy would it be for NBC to kill its The Tonight Show and Late Night franchises? This cancellation is just another sign of CBS's post-The Big Bang Theory decline. CBS may as well give the late-night space back to its affiliates after May 2026, that's what I'd rather do.

stevea

07-21-2025, 12:06 PM

stevea

07-21-2025, 12:25 PM

07-21-2025, 12:27 PM

Zoneboy

07-21-2025, 02:20 PM

Certainly the best news I've heard all week. :wave:

stevea

07-21-2025, 03:01 PM

The settlement thing makes sense--but wouldn't that be enough to tilt the merger scales? As I said before, Colbert has been busting Trump's chops for years.

I suppose it's possible CBS would be desperate enough to get a merger, that they would cancel the program, and view the finances as an added plus.

07-21-2025, 04:26 PM

Studios need losses and write-offs to counter taxes on profitable ventures. It's literally how new TV shows and movies are made. Studios create losses for this specific purpose. It may be a $40 million loss on paper, but it's not an actual loss on their bottom line.

I really doubt the show is losing $40 million per year when you factor in the YouTube revenue and the Paramount+ subscriptions. Their YouTube channel has almost 10 million subscribers and over 10 billion views in the last 10 years.

It wouldn't be very surprising if their YouTube revenue isn't too far off from the commercial ad rates. In 2024, YouTube generated an estimated $36.15 billion in advertising revenue. This represents a 14.7% year-on-year increase. Traditional TV ad spend is projected to reach $60.6 billion in 2024, with a slight increase of 0.3%. The future is clearly with YouTube.

Apple is reportedly losing $1 billion per year on Apple TV+ (https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=485879). Peacock has lost hundreds of millions of dollars the last several years. These streaming services are still churning out new programming.

Duster76

07-21-2025, 04:29 PM

To call it a purely financial decision, you would need to ignore the entire timeline of events. The timing of the announcement is very suspicious.

His contract expires next May. If the show is losing $40 million a year, there's been no reports that CBS offered him a pay cut. They didn't offer him a reduced budget or staff. Late Night with Seth Meyers cut their band to save money. If CBS truly wanted to continue The Late Show franchise, they could have brought in a younger and cheaper host.

CBS has 8 billion reasons to cancel the show 10 months in advance. Paramount Global and Skydance Media desperately want to get the $8 billion merger approved. The Trump administration holds all of the cards. Getting one of his more vocal critics who routinely gets under his skin off the air would likely increase the chances of the merger being approved.

The $16 million settlement over the 60 Minutes segment was essentially a big fat bribe. CBS called the lawsuit completely without merit. Instead of fighting it, they just settled. They didn't apologize. Many legal experts said it was a frivolous lawsuit. CBS likely won have won.

I disagree with your analysis, let's take a look:

"To call it a purely financial decision, you would need to ignore the entire timeline of events. The timing of the announcement is very suspicious".

What timeline, according to the Slate article TMC linked this issue has been developing for months:

"And insider publications like Puck, Variety, and Status News have reported that CBS had expressed concern over Late Show finances for months, as the network reviewed Colbert’s contract and its summer 2026 expiration date"

In all likelihood there was some negotiation window in play, keep in mind the show is not going off the air until May of 2026 as Keith Olbermann (certainly not a President Trump fan) correctly pointed out.

You stated:

"If the show is losing $40 million a year, there's been no reports that CBS offered him a pay cut. They didn't offer him a reduced budget or staff".

The figure ranges from 40-50 million and that has been reported by numerous sources, most of those sources would not be considered friendly towards President Trump. The show is reported to have a staff of 200 with Colbert's salary being 15 million, this wasn't about salary or staff reduction this was about needing to take a wrecking ball to the show's budget, essentially building back something completely different with a completely different structural approach to staff, and budget. The question then becomes is there a business justification for making that kind of effort at this particular point in time.

You said:

"CBS has 8 billion reasons to cancel the show 10 months in advance. Paramount Global and Skydance Media desperately want to get the $8 billion merger approved".

They cancelled The Late Late Show in 2023, was that because of the merger.
This time slot and this type of show doesn't have the potential it once had. In lieu of evidence to the contrary the CBS decision is a reasonable one.

A few years back NBC discussed ending primetime at 10pm, things are changing, CBS made a business decision.

07-21-2025, 05:06 PM

I disagree with your analysis, let's take a look:

"To call it a purely financial decision, you would need to ignore the entire timeline of events. The timing of the announcement is very suspicious".

What timeline, according to the Slate article TMC linked this issue has been developing for months:

"And insider publications like Puck, Variety, and Status News have reported that CBS had expressed concern over Late Show finances for months, as the network reviewed Colbert’s contract and its summer 2026 expiration date"

In all likelihood there was some negotiation window in play, keep in mind the show is not going off the air until May of 2026 as Keith Olbermann (certainly not a President Trump fan) correctly pointed out.

Colbert's monologue calling it a big fat bribe was last Monday. The CEO of Skydance Media met with the FCC Chairman to discuss the merger last Tuesday. Colbert learned of the cancellation decision on Wednesday. He announced it on the show Thursday. The timing is not a coincidence.

If CBS really wanted to keep Colbert, they would have negotiated with him. It tells me they wanted him gone at any cost. The potential new owners clearly don't want any late night talk shows since they are ending The Late Show franchise.

They cancelled The Late Late Show in 2023, was that because of the merger.
This time slot and this type of show doesn't have the potential it once had. In lieu of evidence to the contrary the CBS decision is a reasonable one.

A few years back NBC discussed ending primetime at 10pm, things are changing, CBS made a business decision.

I've read different reasons. It would be difficult to say whether it was CBS' or James Corden's decision. Maybe he asked for more money than they were willing to pay him. I believe he left because he wanted to spend more time with his family in the UK.

TMC

07-21-2025, 08:19 PM

BKCAXQTQSMk

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (https://screenrant.com/db/tv-show/the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert/) was canceled by CBS under some very uneasy circumstances. In this video, I go over it and why I think his show is just the beginning of the fall of late night TV.

bdLpEZhQNHw

The Paramount/Skydance merger has taken some interesting turns with the cancelation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, questions about the future of The Daily Show, and a potential legal battle with the creators of South Park. I break down the latest news and speculate about what the future could bring.

stevea

07-21-2025, 09:55 PM

Keith Olbermann has spoken--case closed lol --

https://www.tvinsider.com/1203695/msnbc-keith-olbermann-colbert-axed-trump/

cd637299

07-22-2025, 07:28 AM

I lurk on another message board re Colbert….one would think that the world was coming to an end.

Oy vey. And I’m not even Jewish.

And no need for me to read anything Olbermann says. I always say, for a journalist, Olbermann is a great sportscaster.

(I liked one comment concerning Colbert’s future—something like, “maybe he will start to pronounce his last name properly.”)

cd

Babalu

07-22-2025, 08:28 PM

Colbert's monologue calling it a big fat bribe was last Monday. The CEO of Skydance Media met with the FCC Chairman to discuss the merger last Tuesday. Colbert learned of the cancellation decision on Wednesday. He announced it on the show Thursday. The timing is not a coincidence.

If CBS really wanted to keep Colbert, they would have negotiated with him. It tells me they wanted him gone at any cost. The potential new owners clearly don't want any late night talk shows since they are ending The Late Show franchise.

You're contradicting yourself. If the 'new owners' don't want to keep the show, then why is the timing suspicious? What everyone is pointing at, is the sale has to be approved by the federal government. If the new owners don't want the franchise, then why do they "have" to cancel it now to get approval for the sale? It makes no sense if they don't want it anyway.

Colbert calling it a 'bribe' is meaningless, because he blames the weather on Trump. That's the only thing political about this. No one gets a job on a network talk show unless they're a Republican bashing liberal. That's why they have no viewers, and that's why these shows will be forced off the air.

TMC

07-22-2025, 08:34 PM

Does Stephen Colbert’s Exit Doom Late Night As a Genre? (https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/stephen-colbert-exit-doom-late-night-genre/)

Paramount's controversial Late Show decision is the latest evidence of the talk show format's decline.

TMC

07-22-2025, 09:02 PM

Paramount is helping hasten the demise of network TV (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/20/arts/television/stephen-colbert-the-late-show-canceled-comedy.html)

Paramount Global's recent actions (https://www.google.com/search?q=+Paramount+is+helping+hasten+the+demise+of+network+TV&sca_esv=f4783fa47038e3a5&sxsrf=AE3TifPGOzzuYkNSQA8Bms3V8zZFiNWu4Q%3A1753232317929&ei=vTOAaN66OIaDm9cPxqWzsQc&ved=0ahUKEwiejZOs49GOAxWGweYEHcbSLHYQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=+Paramount+is+helping+hasten+the+demise+of+network+TV&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAaAhgCIjUgUGFyYW1vdW50IGlzIGhlbHBpbmcgaGFzdGVuIHRoZSBkZW1pc2Ugb2YgbmV0d29yayBUVjIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABMgUQIRigATIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABSOsRUK0LWK0LcAF4AZABAJgBYaABYaoBATG4AQPIAQD4AQH4AQKYAgKgAmuoAhDCAgcQIxgnGOoCwgIKECMYJxjqAhiLA8ICDRAjGPAFGCcYyQIY6gLCAhQQABiABBiRAhi0AhiKBRjqAtgBAcICFxAuGIAEGJECGLQCGMgDGIoFGOoC2AEBmAMF8QWU06NvAW1L-LoGBggBEAEYAZIHAzEuMaAHygWyBwMwLjG4B2XCBwUwLjEuMcgHBQ&sclient=gws-wiz-serp), including significant layoffs and a $6 billion write-down on its cable TV business, are seen by some as contributing to the decline of traditional network television, although the company attributes these moves to broader industry-wide shifts and its focus on streaming profitability. The recent cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is also cited as a financial decision in a challenging late-night (https://www.google.com/search?q=In+defense+of+late-night&oq=In+defense+of+late-night&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQIRigATIHCAIQIRigATIHCAMQIRigATIHCAQQIRiPAjIHCAUQIRiPAtIBCDUzNmoxajE1qAIKsAIB8QV4quefsGhpGPEFeKrnn7BoaRg&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8) TV landscape, further fueling discussions about the future of network broadcasting.

Jon Stewart rails against CBS' The Late Show with Stephen Colbert cancelation. (https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/tv/jon-stewart-rips-paramount-cbs-diatribe-cancellation-colbert-late-show-rcna220144)

cd637299

07-23-2025, 09:52 AM

Nothing lasts forever. You cannot enter a Ford dealer and demand a Model T. You cannot enter Walmart and demand a VCR….

Over-the-air TV is 80 years old now. It has lasted longer than many expected.

I myself don’t have cable or satellite, nor do I care to stream outside of YouTube; modern TV isn’t my bag. The channels I watch are almost 100% classic TV, which has cycled so many times that I won’t miss it when OTA TV bites the dust.

As to Colbert, and I don’t know HOW to say this without getting political…

To his fans….how much “orange man bad” does one need? My goodness gracious…. I myself am at a point where I certainly don’t need my beliefs supported by others. Yes I mean conservatives like me. I know what I like/don’t like, and frankly it gets boring at times, hearing others who echo my sentiments!

We have a local radio station with an early morning guy who actually said “I will never disagree with Donald Trump.” Sure enough, the show has toed the Trump line. Sometimes it’s hilarious, listening to him argue with the Colbert types. Grown men and women…..acting like children.

Disclaimer: I did not vote for Trump NOR Harris in 2024, however I would never tell someone NOT to vote for Trump. I got the tone of the USA last year.

Sorry for the rabbit trail. Really. But seriously, Colbert going will not cause Armageddon; God has His time ready. We don’t know when!

cd

stevea

07-23-2025, 10:33 AM

cd637299

07-23-2025, 10:50 AM

I know I’m gonna get it for saying this, but here goes—-

I have never watched Colbert. I have been going by assumptions & news stories; but I am correct! BTW does Colbert ever smile? Smiles go a long way with me. I feel the same about Olbermann. Stick to sports, Keith. Stick to sports. (i might even take THAT back, from the things Keith has said about a great family man, Tony Dungy.)

“Go ……. yourself”…..stay classy, Steve.

I used to watch Carson monologues—-and although he had been much fairer in his guest list, he wasn’t averse to going political. Nixon was quite the target. My dad (RIP) hated Carson; he felt that Carson’s jokes had malice in them. Never mind that patriotic Bob Hope was a frequent guest!

After the first two Carson segments, I was off to bed.

Natch, we can catch Carson reruns on Antenna TV—that is, if you don’t care for musical guests!

cd

Dude111

07-23-2025, 10:52 AM

I heard he said something they didnt like......

Totally stupid!!

Babalu

07-25-2025, 06:22 AM

Dude111

07-25-2025, 10:57 AM

CBS will probably take him off by Nov!!

Anything they can to do it..... Political morons!!

I think we did a good thing by closing the political base here... Things are too hot now..... Look at City-data,the staff is constantly closing threads there!!

TMC

07-25-2025, 08:10 PM

UPS4XfZSS9I

Even the mainstream media admits Kimmel, Stewart and Fallon are on limited time after Stephen Colbert's cancellation by CBS. The numbers don't lie -- and they're not good. People are tuning out.

Late-night TV faces an uncertain future due to declining viewership, financial struggles, and media consolidation, potentially threatening its traditional format and role in the entertainment industry.

00:00 Late-night TV faces an uncertain future after Stephen Colbert's show cancellation and media consolidation.
02:11 Stephen Colbert's cancellation signals a worrying future for late-night TV, where ratings and cost-cutting may outweigh political and social considerations.
03:26 Late-night TV's future is uncertain after Stephen Colbert's show cancellation, driven by declining viewership and advertiser demographics mismatch.
05:32 Late-night TV is struggling financially with declining viewership and ad revenue, putting its future in doubt.
06:53 Late-night TV faces an uncertain future due to financial unsustainability and loss of viewers to other platforms.
09:25 Late-night TV hosts may transition to podcasting as traditional TV audiences decline and actively engaged podcast listeners become more valuable.
11:30 Late-night TV's future is uncertain after Stephen Colbert's cancellation, threatening the platform's role in incubating talent and driving celebrity publicity.
14:12 Stephen Colbert's show cancellation may signal the decline of traditional late-night TV and news media amid CBS's consolidation and potential merger with Sky Dance.

07-26-2025, 12:17 PM

Dave hit the nail on the head. He called it an act of pure cowardice and gutless.

Dave On Stephen Colbert And CBS | David Letterman (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYpwujMwCSg)

kYpwujMwCSg

07-26-2025, 01:03 PM

A lot of people are now saying that Colbert will not make it to next May; that he will 'accidentally on purpose' push CBS into taking him off the air sooner, one way or another. Either by insulting CBS or going so overboard against Trump that they have to remove him. This way, he gets to be a martyr.

I too, have never watched Colbert. I don't have to. I hear all about him anyway. I don't remember what show he was on before the Late Show, but it was essentially the same thing: bashing Republicans 100% of the time. That's why, when CBS gave him the Late Show, I knew that TV had left me. I was astounded that they would put someone like that into what was a purely entertainment show. David Letterman had started to get overly political towards the end of his run, and that's when I stopped watching. Would I have kept watching if my politics agreed with his? I don't know. But my resentment of TV shows getting political isn't that they get political; it's that 100% of the time it goes against conservatives. Not 50-50, not 75-25, 100-0. That turns me off so I turn them off. It's as simple as that.

If all these Hollywood celebrities want his show to continue, why don't they personally make up the money the show loses? Why doesn't Colbert take a salary cut from $15 million a year to $5 million a year? Instead of having a staff of 200, have a staff of 50. Write your own jokes Colbert.

Where do you get your news and numbers from that it's 100% of the time? Podcasts and social media influencers? Did you pull these numbers out of a hat? You don't watch any of the late night shows.

A new study from the Media Research Center found that 81% of all political jokes told on major late-night comedy shows in 2023 targeted conservatives.

Watchdog finds 81% of all political late night show jokes in 2023 targeted conservatives (https://nypost.com/2024/01/06/news/watchdog-finds-81-of-all-political-late-night-show-jokes-in-2023-targeted-conservatives/)

STUDY: 82 Percent Of Late Night Jokes Targeted Conservatives In 2024 (https://newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/alex-christy/2025/01/07/study-82-percent-late-night-jokes-targeted-conservatives-2024)

The math isn't mathing. 81-82% isn't 100% of the time. Most of that is Trump related because he gives them a lot of material.

The late night hosts joked about Biden plenty in his four years. Bashing and joking about Trump isn't bashing conservatives. Why do people take everything so personal these days? People didn't used to have a "we" attitude so much in the 1970s and 1980s.

Johnny Carson made fun of both sides. Nobody complained back then. People used to be able to laugh it off. There's a reason there's so few multi-camera sitcoms on the air these days.

Often called "the king of late night," Carson was an equal opportunity needler, mocking politicians from Dan Quayle to the Kennedy family, and everyone in between.

Johnny Carson's political legacy (https://www.cnn.com/2005/ALLPOLITICS/01/27/johnny.carson/)

Johnny Carson would be lucky to get 2 million viewers a night these days. There were only 3 networks back then and far fewer cable channels. He didn't have any real competition. There are fewer major stars that people are going to tune in for every night. It's a challenging challenging backdrop in late night with so many options available. Everything is computer and streaming these days.

Greg Gutfeld wouldn't get 3 million viewers at 11:30pm on a broadcast network. He has the advantage that many more people are watching TV at 10pm.

Dude111

07-26-2025, 02:52 PM

Well ya gotta remember Todd,alot of people have been re-programmed.. What they used to think is good is now crap and crap is good!

They have been made to be easily thrilled,dumbed down and easy to control!!

Its sad they dont even realise they ae living someone elses idea of REALITY..........

I thankfully have not been re-programmed buddy...... I havent ever watched Johnny but I wouldnt mind watching him now with nothing but garbage on!!

Ah well.............

cd637299

07-27-2025, 02:37 PM

Forgive me—but last time I checked, Mr. Trump won the election.

Mebbe I’m missing something.

Also, telling our President “Go **** yourself” last I checked, doesn’t qualify as comedy, no matter which side you’re on. And whatever obligatory hoots and hollers* by the audience are not laffs/guffaws. And for those that say our Commander in Chief is a dictator—was Colbert stopped for saying that?

OK I guess it isn’t all comedy….but does one wanna go to bed angry?

[*Naturally I didn’t see it, but that’s usually what happens—just like awards shows. Amirite or amirite? ;) ]

cd

Dude111

07-27-2025, 08:32 PM

Is that what steve did??

Im not surprised they wanna get rid of him then!!

Donny probably told them to drop him!!

07-28-2025, 07:44 PM

Jay Leno's Message to Late Night Comics: Stop Being So Political (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFH0kHVn3OA)

Jay Leno had some tough talk for late night comics: stop being so political. Leno hosted "The Tonight Show" for 22 years, and he says he tried to take an even-handed approach to cracking political jokes. "I like to bring people into the big picture. I don't understand why you would alienate one group," Leno said. Leno taped his interview with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation two weeks ago, before Stephen Colbert's shocking announcement that "The Late Show" was being canceled by CBS.

yFH0kHVn3OA

I guess Jay Leno forgets how much he went after Bill Clinton. It must have been different and more accepted back then.

Jay Leno Says Today’s Late-Night Hosts ‘Alienate’ Half the Audience With Political Jokes ‘Cozying Up to One Side’: ‘I Don’t Think Anybody Wants to Hear a Lecture’ (https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/jay-leno-political-views-late-night-host-alienate-half-the-audience-1236471419/)

In the interview with Leno, Trulio alluded to a study of the comedian’s “Tonight Show” jokes, which Trulio said had found were “roughly equally balanced between going after Republicans and taking aim at Democrats.” According to a George Mason University analysis released in 2009, on “The Tonight Show” from 1992-2008, Leno told 4,468 jokes about Bill Clinton, nearly 50% more than George W. Bush (2,999 jokes). Following them in the Top 10 most frequent targets of Leno’s jokes were Al Gore, Hillary Clinton, O.J. Simpson, Dick Cheney, Michael Jackson, Monica Lewinsky, Bob Dole and John McCain.

opus

07-28-2025, 08:00 PM

Jay Leno's Message to Late Night Comics: Stop Being So Political (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFH0kHVn3OA)

yFH0kHVn3OA

I guess Jay Leno forgets how much he went after Bill Clinton. It must have been different and more accepted back then.

Jay Leno Says Today’s Late-Night Hosts ‘Alienate’ Half the Audience With Political Jokes ‘Cozying Up to One Side’: ‘I Don’t Think Anybody Wants to Hear a Lecture’ (https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/jay-leno-political-views-late-night-host-alienate-half-the-audience-1236471419/)

Jay prefers the classy humor about murder trials and dancing judges

323817

cd637299

07-28-2025, 08:34 PM

TMC

07-31-2025, 09:51 PM

Stephen Colbert has his best week ever following The Late Show cancelation (https://latenighter.com/news/ratings/stephen-colbert-sets-ratings-record-in-wake-of-cancellation/)

The large viewership for Colbert's first post-cancelation show last Monday carried over through the entire week as The Late Show posted its highest weekly share of the late-night audience since his CBS show launched in 2015.

Why Stephen Colbert's Higher-Rated 'Late Show' Loses Money While Jimmy Fallon's Does Not (https://www.pajiba.com/tv_reviews/why-stephen-colberts-late-show-loses-money-while-jimmy-fallons-does-not.php)

Dude111

07-31-2025, 10:22 PM

Isnt Jimmy Fallon religous??

Its obvious why his show isnt dropping.... So many brainwashed into living a fake religon!!

icecream

07-31-2025, 10:43 PM

Isnt Jimmy Fallon religous??

Its obvious why his show isnt dropping.... So many brainwashed into living a fake religon!!:rolleyes: :rolleyes: says the person brainwashed into hating vaccines...

cd637299

08-01-2025, 09:59 AM

One could say that Tom Cruise is “religious.” Means nothing.

I’m sure that the recent high Colbert ratings are only so’s folk can watch him say the F word (and whether the audio is intact or not). We can move on now!

cd

stevea

08-01-2025, 01:32 PM

What channels are these high ratings coming from? My bet: WCBS and KCBS. The rest of the country doesn't care.

cloggedmind

08-03-2025, 12:37 AM

Actually I had seen a YouTube last night about the same thing on Leno, but it was A.I. driven and showing only photos of Leno.

I do get a kick outta Leno’s Headlines & Jaywalking. Nobody can tell me that those weren’t funny. Nice to go to bed for the night with that on your mind.

Letterman was definitely more political, but like Leno he also depended on weird humor, like Stupid Pet/Human Tricks.

One feature of Letterman I absolutely loved, but apparently not shared by many, was Rejected FDA Products. What made it so effective, was that the artwork of the faux packaging was SO convincing. And it saddens me that there is no webpage out there devoted to them. Very few in YouTube as well.

Just imagine seeing these in your store:

Kraft Macaroni and Ticks
Hellmann’s Frozen Mayonnaise Bars (which David sucked on for effect)
Heinz Gravy boxes (shaped like Kool-Aid 4 oz. juice boxes for kids)
Gerber Baby Food with Red Bull

and my favorite, a small bottle with red liquid:

Cajun Style Visine

I also enjoyed Letterman as “Mr. Curious”, only about 6 times done, but all on YouTube. Gotta see to believe.

cd

I loved the cooking segments where Dave would sample the strangest of the ingredients, like taking a huge gulp of cooking oil! Mockup? Maybe.

Seems there was one with maybe Bev Tanner where he grabbed a bottle of sherry or cooking wine, maybe supposed to be dummied up, but he was surprised to find it the real deal! After that, every time something alcoholic was used for cooking he made a beeline for it.

And, who could forget Chris Elliott and the dog food experiment? :lol:

There were some great moments in those days, especially the edgier NBC show.

Said the talking computer display during Chicago week: "Gen-er-al El-ec-tric Reeeealy Blows!"

"Bob Rooney, please give this gentlemen an assortment of G.E.'s finest fluorescent tubes!"

"Hey, Bozo.. We're standing in it!"

"Them bats is smart. They use radar."

"Who gives a rat's ass?"

Top 10 Signs You Have No Friends
7. James Taylor starts singing "You've Got A Friend", looks out in the audience, sees you and stops.

And, and, AND:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koqcYzwMZME

TMC

08-18-2025, 11:55 PM

Conan O'Brien: Late-night is "going to disappear," but Stephen Colbert is "too talented and too essential to go away." (https://people.com/conan-obrien-says-stephen-colbert-too-essential-to-go-away-11792715)

Jimmy Kimmel calls BS on Stephen Colbert losing $40 million a year, says "the idea that late-night is dead is simply untrue" (https://variety.com/2025/tv/awards/jimmy-kimmel-defends-colbert-late-night-tv-not-dying-1236479160/)

Dude111

08-19-2025, 08:22 AM

Lets hope he is rite!!

stevea

08-19-2025, 10:27 AM

Colbert essential? What a joke.

Dude111

08-20-2025, 01:07 AM

Ya really.. Just more political trash you can hear on the radio!!

TMC

08-23-2025, 02:06 AM

Stephen Colbert should revive his The Colbert Report alter ego after he leaves The Late Show. (https://latenighter.com/features/stephen-colbert-is-leaving-his-alter-ego-should-return/)

Colbert is unlikely to do it. But as Bill Carter writes, if ever a time called for a revival of 'The Colbert Report,' it's now.

Dude111

08-23-2025, 03:01 AM

Yes it would be g00d!

TMC

09-09-2025, 06:41 PM

Paul Shaffer thinks Stephen Colbert's cancelation is a sign of late-night's death (https://ew.com/late-show-sidekick-paul-shaffer-calls-show-end-shocking-11804916)

"Shocking. Absolutely shocking," Shaffer, David Letterman's former Late Show bandleader, tells EW of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert's cancelation. He added: "I wouldn't be surprised if those doom-sayers that are saying it signifies the end of the Late-Show-type-of-thing, you know, late night television, it's over," he says. "People will watch clips on their computers, and it all makes sense to me. I'm glad that I was in and out of there while the getting was good."

Stephen Colbert celebrates his 10-year anniversary Late Show anniversary by mocking his cancelation with Julianne Moore (https://ew.com/stephen-colbert-says-paramount-gifted-him-cancellation-for-late-show-10th-anniversary-11806200)

Colbert kicked off his Late Show anniversary episode with a cold open that featured him waking up from a dream with Moore next to him in bed (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qsG_-0SUOM). “I dreamt that I hosted a network talk show for 10 years,” Colbert said. “That’s a long time,” Moore acknowledged, to which Colbert dryly quipped back, “I thought it would be longer.” Moore explained that it must’ve been a dream because no one watches late-night television anymore. “That’s just the thing! People did watch this one!" Colbert responded. "In fact, tonight we were supposed to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the show!” ALSO: Stephen Colbert lookalike contest outside the Ed Sullivan Theater transforms into a protest to save The Late Show (https://latenighter.com/news/nyc-stephen-colbert-lookalike-contest-becomes-a-protest-march/).

TMC

10-08-2025, 09:06 PM

Byron Allen Is Lobbying for Stephen Colbert’s CBS Late Night Time Slot: ‘My Hand Is Already Up’ (https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/byron-allen-stephen-colbert-cbs-late-night-time-slot-1236543681/)

Byron Allen got his first big break at age 18 in 1979 as a standup comedian on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.” More than 45 years later, Allen is now a media mogul: But he’s still got his eyes on a late night prize.

Interviewed on stage Wednesday during New York’s Advertising Week event, Allen said he’s pitching hard to land the 11:35 p.m. time slot on CBS next year after “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” ends its run. (In July, CBS announced it would cancel “The Late Show” after this current season, calling it a “financial decision.”)

“If they’re looking for a show, my hand is already up,” he told moderator Bill Carter. “50 years, I’ve been waiting for this moment. Definitely, I’m going for it.”

Allen’s “Comics Unleashed With Byron Allen” currently airs on CBS at 12:35 a.m., in the timeslot most recently held by “After Midnight” (and before that, “The Late Late Show With James Corden”). It’s a low-risk endeavor for the network, since Allen pays CBS for the hour as a time buy and then sells the advertising spots himself.

“I’m investing millions and millions of dollars to prove myself at 12:35,” he said. “I am winning the time period. If numbers matter, then we’re already winning.” (Because it’s a time buy, ratings for “Comics Unleashed” are not immediately available, so Variety has not yet been able to confirm that stat or which measurement he might be referring to.)

CBS has not yet revealed its plans for the late night slot once Colbert’s show ends next May. Options include returning to drama reruns (“Crimetime After Primetime”), which is what CBS ran before “Late Show With David Letterman” premiered in 1993. The network could also expand local news, giving affiliates an extra half hour and perhaps plugging in reruns at midnight. Or, CBS could take Allen up on his offer and shift “Comics Unleashed” down to 11:35 or to midnight (if the network still opts to go with an hour-long local news slot at 11 p.m.).

Currently, “Comics Unleashed” airs as two half-hour episodes nightly: The first 30 minutes is a new episode, while the second episode is an older episode from the series’ library. “Comics Unleashed” originally shot around 233 episodes between 2006 and 2016 as a syndicated series before resuming production on new episodes for the 2025-2026 TV season on CBS.

After “The Late Late Show With James Corden” wrapped in 2023, Allen pitched the “Comics Unleashed” time buy as a stopgap for CBS in the 12:35 slot until the Eye’s replacement series, “After Midnight,” was ready to premiere in January 2024.

“My whole thing was, ‘hey, we have a big opportunity here,'” Allen said. His pitch to CBS: “‘Why would you spend $35 million on a television show at that hour? Let me provide you the show, and I will happily produce the show, and you can save that 35, 40 million, whatever it is, and put it elsewhere.’ So CBS said, ‘this makes it makes sense.’ We did a 19 week test in fall 2023. It did extremely well.”

When “After Midnight” host Taylor Tomlinson decided to depart in early 2025, CBS canceled the show all together. That’s when Allen once again took over the 12:35 slot.

“I said, ‘look, mathematically, you’ll never beat the show.’ At that point, we’d done about 260 episodes, which means 620 comedians have come through the show. I have 620 of the greatest comedy writers on planet Earth today. They’ve written the material. They performed it everywhere. They’ve perfected it. They come on our show. We shoot the show for close to an hour, and we cut it down to 22 minutes. Day one, I’ve always said the show has to be evergreen. That’s how I was able to put it on. No topical humor, no political humor. nothing. I don’t want anything that’s racist, sexist, anti semitic, homophobic, I don’t want to hear any of that… we have enormous support from the advertising community.”

Comedian-turned-mogul Allen launched his Allen Media Group 30 years ago, focusing first on syndicated fare, and then expanding into media outlets. He now owns a chain of TV stations (which is now in the process of divesting), numerous lifestyle channels, the Weather Channel and digital outlets including The Grio and HBCU Go.

opus

12-13-2025, 04:24 PM

Out of curiosity, if Paramount can scrape together a $108 billion Warner Bros bid, how can they cry poverty over one late night talk show?

opus

12-19-2025, 02:40 PM

I see no one has an explanation. Mostly because it makes no sense.

12-19-2025, 03:01 PM

Out of curiosity, if Paramount can scrape together a $108 billion Warner Bros bid, how can they cry poverty over one late night talk show?

I see no one has an explanation. Mostly because it makes no sense.

It doesn't make any sense. There's no way the show was losing $40 million a year if you include the ad revenue from streaming on YouTube/Paramount+ and the affiliate fees.

Stephen Colbert is making $15 million a year. Reportedly the show employs 200 people. I don't know how many of those are full time.
How does the show cost $100 million a year to produce?

I think the new owners had no intention of keeping the show on the air even if it was hugely profitable.

ChatGPT (https://chatgpt.com/share/69459e26-4200-800c-b8e6-4a6efe904188) is skeptical of the reported losses.

Short answer: There are credible reports that CBS was losing around $40 million per year on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, but the figure isn’t independently verified, and some media figures (like Jimmy Kimmel) say the claim is exaggerated or misleading.

Here’s what’s going on:

�� Reported Losses

Several news outlets and media reporters (citing sources at CBS/Paramount) said the show was losing roughly $40 million – and perhaps up to $50 million – a year before its 2025 cancellation.

Those reports suggested the show had a budget north of $100 million a season, and with declining ad revenue, it wasn’t making enough back to justify the cost.

�� What CBS Actually Said

CBS officially said cancelling the show was a “purely financial decision” amid a tough advertising and late-night economics environment, but the network didn’t publicly confirm specific loss figures.

�� Skepticism & Context

Some industry figures, including fellow late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, have publicly dismissed the idea that Colbert’s show was truly losing $40 million annually, calling that number “nonsensical” because it doesn’t fully account for revenue sources like affiliate fees and streaming performance.

Analysts note that late-night TV overall has been struggling with lower advertising revenue and fragmented audiences, which makes profit calculations more complicated than in the past.

�� Bottom Line

It was widely reported in mid-2025 that the show was losing tens of millions each year and that this was part of CBS’s rationale for cancelling it.

But there’s no public accounting from CBS with exact audited figures, and industry insiders argue the real financial picture might not be as simple as “losing $40 million a year” in a vacuum.

JamesG

01-27-2026, 04:23 PM

Stephen Colbert Reveals "The Late Show" End Date
by Peter White
January 27, 2026

The Stephen Colbert-hosted late-night show will end on Thursday, May 21, Deadline has confirmed.

Colbert revealed the news during an appearance on rival talker "Late Night with Seth Meyers", which is set to air tonight (January 27) on NBC, per LateNighter.

https://deadline.com/2026/01/the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-final-episode-date-1236698681/

Edward216

02-18-2026, 08:50 PM

I say good riddance.

Ed.

TMC

02-19-2026, 01:04 AM

Stephen Colbert slams CBS statement denying banning James Talarico interview from airing: “Every word of my script last night was approved by CBS lawyers” (https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/stephen-colbert-cbs-james-talarico-interview-fcc-1236666083/#:~:text=In%20jest%20of%20the%20network's,and%20my%20friend%20Jimmy%20Kimmel.%E2%80%9D)

On his February 17, 2026, show, The Late Show host Stephen Colbert strongly criticized a statement from CBS (https://www.google.com/search?q=Stephen+Colbert+slams+CBS+statement+denying+banning+James+Talarico+interview+from+airing%3A+%E2%80%9CEvery+word+of+my+script+last+night+was+approved+by+CBS+lawyers%E2%80%9D&sca_esv=9a75789331dfae63&sxsrf=ANbL-n7CxkVgucADd5rS5v1cHOyfRS04xg%3A1771476950149&ei=1peWabTxCJ64qtsPgtu0oAM&biw=1358&bih=602&ved=0ahUKEwi0tN3y4eSSAxUenGoFHYItDTQQ4dUDCBM&uact=5&oq=Stephen+Colbert+slams+CBS+statement+denying+banning+James+Talarico+interview+from+airing%3A+%E2%80%9CEvery+word+of+my+script+last+night+was+approved+by+CBS+lawyers%E2%80%9D&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAingFTdGVwaGVuIENvbGJlcnQgc2xhbXMgQ0JTIHN0YXRlbWVudCBkZW55aW5nIGJhbm5pbmcgSmFtZXMgVGFsYXJpY28gaW50ZXJ2aWV3IGZyb20gYWlyaW5nOiDigJxFdmVyeSB3b3JkIG9mIG15IHNjcmlwdCBsYXN0IG5pZ2h0IHdhcyBhcHByb3ZlZCBieSBDQlMgbGF3eWVyc-KAnTIHECMY6gIYJzIHECMY6gIYJzIHECMY6gIYJzIHECMY6gIYJzIHECMY6gIYJzIHECMY6gIYJzIHECMY6gIYJzIHECMY6gIYJzIHECMY6gIYJzIHECMY6gIYJzIXEAAYgAQYigUYkQIY5wYY6gIYtALYAQEyFxAAGIAEGIoFGJECGOcGGOoCGLQC2AEBMhcQABiABBiKBRiRAhjnBhjqAhi0AtgBATIXEC4YgAQYigUYkQIY5wYY6gIYtALYAQEyFxAAGIAEGIoFGJECGOcGGOoCGLQC2AEBMhAQABgDGI8BGOoCGLQC2AEBMhAQABgDGI8BGOoCGLQC2AEBMhAQABgDGI8BGOoCGLQC2AEBMhAQABgDGI8BGOoCGLQC2AEBMhAQABgDGI8BGOoCGLQC2AEBSL_EB1DquAdY9sEHcAJ4AJABA5gBxgGgAdAHqgEDMC43uAEDyAEA-AEB-AECmAIDoAK4AagCFMICCxAAGIAEGKIEGLADwgIIEAAY7wUYsAPCAgoQLhhDGIAEGIoFwgIKEAAYgAQYFBiHAsICCBAuGIAEGLEDwgILEAAYgAQYigUYkQLCAgUQLhiABMICBRAAGIAEwgIZEC4YQxiABBiKBRiXBRjcBBjeBBjfBNgBAZgDHfEFAHhplIngjsqIBgGQBgS6BgYIARABGBSSBwMyLjGgB-W6ArIHAzAuMbgHiQHCBwUzLTEuMsgHOYAIAQ&sclient=gws-wiz-serp) that denied banning an interview with Texas Democratic State Representative James Talarico, calling the network’s claim "crap". Colbert asserted that CBS (https://www.tvinsider.com/1246352/stephen-colbert-fires-back-at-cbs-over-banned-interview/) lawyers directly intervened to stop the interview from airing on TV due to FCC "equal-time" rules and, in a sharp rebuke, noted that his monologue addressing the situation had been pre-approved by those same lawyers.

FCC chair Brendan Carr calls Stephen Colbert’s James Talarico clash with CBS a “hoax” as he confirms probe of The View. (https://www.foxnews.com/media/fcc-chair-rips-colbert-hoax-after-cbs-denied-blocking-talarico-interview-says-media-fell-for-it)

TMC

02-19-2026, 10:48 PM

Stephen Colbert is a “dead man walking”: That’s why he could clash with CBS in shining a light on FCC’s new “equal time” mandate. (https://www.readtpa.com/p/cbs-doesnt-need-to-be-told-anymore)

Based on reports (https://www.google.com/search?q=Stephen+Colbert+is+a+%E2%80%9Cdead+man+walking%E2%80%9D%3A+That%E2%80%99s+why+he+could+clash+with+CBS+in+shining+a+light+on+FCC%E2%80%99s+new+%E2%80%9Cequal+time%E2%80%9D+mandate.&sca_esv=2547180b8be7fcc0&sxsrf=ANbL-n5srCpz1NBhrelkSriWnKC6JcZ6zw%3A1771554991670&ei=r8iXafrTKIOk0PEP292c-As&ved=0ahUKEwi65-nPhOeSAxUDEjQIHdsuB78Q4dUDCBM&uact=5&oq=Stephen+Colbert+is+a+%E2%80%9Cdead+man+walking%E2%80%9D%3A+That%E2%80%99s+why+he+could+clash+with+CBS+in+shining+a+light+on+FCC%E2%80%99s+new+%E2%80%9Cequal+time%E2%80%9D+mandate.&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAijQFTdGVwaGVuIENvbGJlcnQgaXMgYSDigJxkZWFkIG1hbiB3YWxraW5n4oCdOiBUaGF04oCZcyB3aHkgaGUgY291bGQgY2xhc2ggd2l0aCBDQlMgaW4gc2hpbmluZyBhIGxpZ2h0IG9uIEZDQ-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-I7zBfovugYGCAEQARgBkgcBMaAHALIHALgHAMIHAzItMcgHA4AIAQ&sclient=gws-wiz-serp) from February 2026, Stephen Colbert is in his final months as host of The Late Show—with his contract set to expire in May 2026 and the show scheduled to end. Because he is essentially a "dead man walking" (a lame-duck host) after CBS announced the show's cancellation in July 2025, he has taken an combative approach toward network management regarding the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) "equal time" mandate.

TMC

03-13-2026, 10:43 PM

Stephen Colbert’s monthslong farewell has become “outsized and a bit dramatic." (https://variety.com/2026/tv/columns/stephen-colbert-late-show-final-season-ego-trip-1236684716/)

TMC

04-06-2026, 07:12 PM

TMC

04-07-2026, 09:53 PM

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert shifts into its endgame with May 21 finale fast approaching (https://latenighter.com/news/with-six-weeks-left-colberts-late-show-shifts-into-endgame/)

Counting this week, Stephen Colbert has six weeks of new shows left on CBS, plus a weeklong hiatus later this month. “To that end, Colbert’s guest list is starting to look less like a typical booking grid and more like a sendoff,” says LateNighter’s Jed Rosenzweig, adding: “Final runs for long-running late-night shows have a history of turning into something bigger—part celebration, part reunion, part victory lap—as seen in the closing stretches of Johnny Carson, David Letterman, and Conan O’Brien, when guest lists doubled as homecomings.” ALSO: Stephen Colbert reacts to facing off against Heated Rivalry in two Webby Awards categories (https://latenighter.com/news/late-show-stephen-colbert-heated-rivalry-webby-awards/).

JamesG

04-13-2026, 05:33 PM

David Letterman Sounds Off on CBS Replacing "The Late Show" with Byron Allen Comedy Hour
by Zack Sharf
April 13, 2026

David Letterman has weighed in on CBS’ decision to replace “The Late Show” franchise after 33 years with Byron Allen’s comedy talk show “Comics Unleashed”.

The network confirmed the change earlier this month. Stephen Colbert‘s “The Late Show” airs its final episode on May 21. Allen will take over the 11:35pm ET time slot on May 22 with back-to-back episodes of “Comics Unleashed”.

“They don’t want to spend any money, so they’re going to make money,” Letterman said about the decision on a recent episode of his podcast.

“They charge Byron Allen some reasonable price. He sells all the advertising for his ‘Comics Unleashed,’ and it’ll be, I think, 90 minutes or two hours of comics talking about funny stuff.”

He added, “The show is a pretty good idea, it’s all panel. Nobody’s doing any standup, except they’re seated doing standup.”

https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/david-letterman-cbs-replacing-late-show-save-money-1236720313/

TMC

04-15-2026, 08:59 PM

CBS is “developing other ideas” for the 11:35 p.m. timeslot for after Byron Allen’s one-year deal expires. (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/cbs-developing-other-ideas-late-night-after-colbert-byron-allen-time-buy-1236565430/)

CBS executives have confirmed that the network is "developing other ideas" (https://share.google/aimode/Eg748h0NWyjYTW458) for the 11:35 p.m. timeslot as they transition to a "time-buy" model for the 2026–2027 season. Following the conclusion of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on May 21, 2026, CBS will lease the hour to media mogul Byron Allen for back-to-back episodes of his syndicated series Comics Unleashed.

TMC

04-29-2026, 02:40 AM

Stephen Colbert: “Something changed” between when CBS offered me a five-year contract in 2023 and The Late Show’s cancelation in 2025 (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/28/business/media/stephen-colbert-late-night-show.html)

In an exit interview with The New York Times, Colbert discussed why his cancelation seemed “fishy.” “I do not dispute their rationale,” he said. “I do make jokes about it. But I also completely understand why people would say (A) that doesn’t make sense to me and (B) that seems fishy to me, because the network did it to themselves by bending the knee to the Trump administration over a $20 billion, settled for $16 million, completely frivolous lawsuit. It’s possible that two things can be true. Broadcast can be in trouble. They cannot monetize because of things like YouTube, because of the competition of streaming. They’ve got the books, and I do not have any desire to debate them over what they say their business model is and how it does not work for them anymore. But less than two years before they called to say it’s over, they were very eager for me to be signed for a long time. So, something changed.” AS The Times’ John Koblin explains, “one of the reasons Mr. Colbert found the cancellation surprising, he said, was that CBS encouraged him in 2023 to sign a long contract, as long as five years. He ultimately signed a three-year deal.” Colbert also discussed his post-Late Show future (outside of co-writing a new Lord of the Rings movie). Colbert said he’s too busy thinking about The Late Show to consider his future, but he spends “more time with podcasts than any form of entertainment.” “It takes all my time, so I don’t know,” he said of his Late Show work. “People have called to say, ‘Do you want to do X, Y or Z?’ And I would say, like: ‘Hey, that’s great. I don’t think I could give you a good answer until I can really think about it.” It literally took me years to think enough about writing one script. And I put a lot of thought into it. And I feel good about what we’re doing, and I want to feel that good about everything I do. So when this is over and I have a little time to breathe, probably after turning in the first draft, too, of this thing, I’ll know then.” ALSO: Stephen Colbert rejects “partisan” label on political jokes: “I don’t have any problem with Trump being a Republican.” (https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/tv/news/stephen-colbert-show-partisan-trump-republican-b2966506.html)

TMC

05-05-2026, 05:40 PM

David Letterman calls CBS “lying weasels,” says The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’s cancelation “seemed like a botched holdup” (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/05/arts/television/david-letterman-stephen-colbert-the-late-show-cbs.html)

In a New York Times interview with his biographer, Letterman: The Last Giant of Late Night author Jason Zinoman (https://www.amazon.com/Letterman-Last-Giant-Late-Night/dp/0062377213), Letterman said he was at first in “disbelief” upon hearing of The Late Show’s cancelation. “They don’t share the books with me,” said Letterman. “All of television seems to have been nicked by digital communication and streaming platforms and on and on. TV may be not the money machine it once was. On the other hand, what about the humanity for Stephen and the humanity of people who love him and the humanity for people who still enjoyed that 11:30 respite? He was dumped because the people selling the network to Skydance said, ‘Oh no, there’s not going to be any trouble with that guy. We’re going to take care of the show. We’re just going to throw that into the deal. When will the ink on the check dry?’ I’m just going to go on record as saying: They’re lying. Let me just add one other thing, Jason. They’re lying weasels.” (CBS told Zinoman that the cancelation was “unequivocally a financial decision.”) Letterman was also asked about Byron Allen — whom he used to write with when Allen was a 14-year-old in 1975 — paying to take over Colbert’s timeslot. “He’s been wildly more successful than any hundred of us,” Letterman said. “I periodically talk to him, and neither he nor I understand how he became a billionaire. God bless him. To hell with CBS. To hell with Skydance. To hell with the Winslow twins or whoever the hell these guys are. But Byron, he’ll still be providing comedy in that time period. I think that’s a valuable bit of resolution here.” Has he talked to Allen since news of him taking over CBS’ 11:35 pm timeslot? “No, I’m hoping if I say enough silly things about him, he’ll call me,” said Letterman. ALSO: David Letterman says he’s open to a reunion with Jay Leno on his Netflix show (https://latenighter.com/news/david-letterman-open-to-jay-leno-netflix-reunion/).

TMC

05-06-2026, 04:25 AM

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is departing as both an institution and anti-institutional. (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/05/arts/television/stephen-colbert-the-late-show-carson-letterman-leno.html)

The departure of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in May 2026 marks the end of a pivotal era in late-night television, where the program operated simultaneously as a cornerstone institution of CBS and a subversive, anti-institutional force. While serving as the highest-rated late-night show for nine consecutive seasons, Colbert used his platform for aggressive political commentary that often challenged the corporate and political establishment.

TMC

05-11-2026, 08:50 PM

Jimmy Kimmel Live! will air a rerun against The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’s May 21 finale. (https://au.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-news/jimmy-kimmel-rerun-stephen-colbert-late-show-finale-94838/)

TMC

05-12-2026, 09:06 PM

Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show joins Jimmy Kimmel Live! in airing a rerun vs. Stephen Colbert’s final The Late Show (https://latenighter.com/news/tonight-show-no-new-episode-opposite-colbert-finale/)

In what NBC is calling “a sign of late-night solidarity,” The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon will go dark on Thursday, May 21, as Colbert signs off from CBS after 11 years. Fallon, who is usually off Fridays, will return the next night for a new episode.

Stephen Colbert’s Strike Force Five reunion on The Late Show was wonderful and yet bittersweet (https://www.pajiba.com/news/strike-force-five-reunion-is-everything-that-makes-latenight-tv-great.php)

“Seeing these four men from Colbert’s past show up to support him this way made the whole thing really feel like the end for the first time,” says Andrew Sanford of Colbert reuniting on The Late Show last night with Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers and John Oliver. “It was like a character in a sitcom running into old guest stars in the last two or three episodes of the show. It felt like a sendoff, which sucks. But, if he’s got to go, at least he’s going out with a bang, and by letting us know who among them has the highest rating on Wikifeet. Still, just because Colbert’s show is ending doesn’t mean Strike Force Five is. One of the most exciting parts of the interview (aside from Jon Stewart being named designated survivor, should anything happen) was the announcement that a special video episode of their podcast would be recorded immediately after they were done. It will go up on Wednesday, and I could not be more excited to see what they talk about. There were certainly a few shots fired on Colbert, but I have a feeling that they will be a bit more free-wheeling when it comes to what they put on their own YouTube channel.”
ALSO:

Stephen Colbert’s Strike Force Five reunion was funny, warm — and pointed (https://latenighter.com/features/strike-force-five-colbert-reunion/): “As these five talented men traded jibes and stories like old college friends, drawing laughs from the audience and from one another, it only underscored how separate—sadly separate—Trump and his entourage are from some of the best times people can have watching television,” says Bill Carter. “Watching that engaging bonhomie must also have felt painful for those at CBS who understand how central a late-night show has long been to the identity and stature of a broadcast network. The new ownership clearly doesn’t care about that, because it doesn’t seem to value what a show like Colbert’s brings to the larger enterprise. Late-night shows are entertaining. They always have been; they still are. Unless you literally can’t take a joke. The guys who shared the stage last night did not look like terrorists, or dangerous in any way. They looked like five white guys of vaguely the same age and almost exactly the same height, wearing similar blue suits—except Fallon, who wore black. Guys who have fun together.”

The Late Show house band brought back three original members: Ibanda Ruhumbika, Eddie Barbash and Maddie Rice (https://latenighter.com/news/original-stay-human-members-return-late-show/)

CNN announces “flashdoc” special The Last Laugh: Stephen Colbert (https://latenighter.com/news/cnn-documentary-stephen-colbert-the-last-laugh/)

James28

05-17-2026, 02:46 PM

CBS is “developing other ideas” for the 11:35 p.m. timeslot for after Byron Allen’s one-year deal expires. (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/cbs-developing-other-ideas-late-night-after-colbert-byron-allen-time-buy-1236565430/)

I don't know how come those "other options" don't include CBS just giving that 11:35 pm (Eastern) time period back to its local affiliates and O&Os because a potential revival of the The Late Show franchise would be infeasible. I don't even know any feasible replacements on that time period myself, because the ratings for any replacement likely aren't going to be as good. Go straight to that option [giving 11:35 pm back to your affiliates], even with less and less first-run syndication offerings being available in the future.

TMC

05-22-2026, 02:06 AM

Byron Allen calls himself “a gift from the money gods … and the comedy gods”: “I’m putting a lot of money in (CBS’) cash register” (https://ew.com/byron-allen-pitch-to-cbs-to-get-stephen-colbert-time-slot-after-late-show-ends-11981396)

“When Colbert got unexpectedly canceled, I said, ‘Okay, do you like money?’ They said, ‘Yes,’” Allen told NBC News (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbdidt-a2wQ) of his pitch to CBS, according to EW. “I’ll buy the time period and you can save over $110 million.” Allen takes over Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show timeslot, with his long-running Comics Unleashed, starting Friday.

TMC

05-27-2026, 02:19 AM

CBS Mornings was reportedly ordered to ignore Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show farewell (https://puck.news/newsletter_content/what-im-hearing-kids-vs-hwood-imax-exit-options-cbs-news-vs-colbert/)

Turns out there was a reason CBS Mornings ignored Colbert’s final show (https://bsky.app/profile/tvmojoe.bsky.social/post/3mmi34efstc27) — even though co-anchor Gayle King posted pictures and video (https://www.instagram.com/p/DYpg-97EXvG) from The Late Show wrap party on Instagram. “The onslaught of media coverage on Friday notably did not include CBS Mornings, which totally ignored the big finale of Late Show,” reports Puck’s Matt Belloni. “No highlights, no anchor discussion, not a single mention of a pretty major event on its own network. And that wasn’t an oversight. I’m told the ghosting was a specific directive from CBS News president Tom Cibrowski, who hated Colbert’s recent bit mocking their failure to secure a China visa for anchor Tony Dokoupil (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQpqIPBYmDM). Colbert ‘kicked colleagues when they were down,’ one source at CBS News told me today. ‘It was unprofessional and unprovoked.’ In the leadership’s eyes, the news unit had been supportive of Colbert and Late Show amid its cancellation by CBS and the swan song season, covering its F.C.C. dustup over James Talarico (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_mWHULk8ls) and inviting him on CBS Mornings. It wasn’t a complete gag order, though: Anchor Gayle King posted a gushing farewell to Colbert on Instagram and hit the finale afterparty on Thursday night.” While ABC’s Good Morning America also ignored The Late Show farewell (https://bsky.app/profile/tvmojoe.bsky.social/post/3mmi3aaefik27), NBC’s Today has done many segments on Colbert exiting late-night, including one on his emotional goodbye (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znec-DIff8o), one on his Only in Monroe (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhvFgWqnFBA) public access appearance and one on The Late Show finale ratings (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVuhXYu2cNE).

CBS suspends takedown notices of Stephen Colbert’s post-Late Show Only in Monroe appearance after online backlash (https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/cbs-stephen-colbert-only-in-monroe-public-access-show-1236758093/)

Colbert’s return to Only in Monroe (https://latenighter.com/news/stephen-colbert-returns-to-only-in-monroe-after-late-show-finale/) on Friday night — 11 years after his first appearance (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVPlMM_aSn4) ahead of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’s 2015 launch — resulted in many bootleg copies on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DlF5Cf4VLM). But it turns out, Colbert’s Only in Monroe appearance was financed and produced by CBS Studios and was meant to boost Colbert’s new YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGtZHv5KB7V8G2THzaQHcaA) (while also being cross-posted on Only in Monroe and The Late Show’s YouTube channels). Which is why CBS sent takedown notices that prompted online backlash (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/paramount-denies-suppress-stephen-colbert-public-access-show-1236605374/) over Memorial Day Weekend. As a result of the outcry, CBS decided to stand down. “As is our regular practice, we send copyright notices to unauthorized websites that post copyrighted content from CBS and our network/studio talent such as Stephen Colbert,” CBS said in a statement. “However, for this episode, we have decided to waive further enforcement of this standard industry practice until additional review.”

TMC

05-28-2026, 08:26 PM

Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show finale viewership jumps to 9.1 million with delayed viewing (https://latenighter.com/news/ratings/colbert-late-show-finale-ratings/)

Nielsen live-plus-three-day ratings has upped last Thursday’s finale viewership from the same-day audience of 6.74 million to 9.123 million total viewers, according to LateNighter. ALSO: Stephen Colbert turns his Only in Monroe appearances into a fundraiser (https://latenighter.com/news/stephen-colbert-only-in-monroe-auction/).

TMC

05-28-2026, 09:12 PM

CBS sells Byron Allen the 11:35 p.m. timeslot Stephen Colbert is exiting (https://latenighter.com/news/cbs-replaces-colbert-byron-allen/)

CBS has announced (https://www.resetera.com/threads/cbs-seals-deal-with-byron-allen-to-lease-all-of-late-night-after-stephen-colbert-exits-in-may.1483696/) a deal to sell (https://www.reddit.com/r/television/comments/1se4str/cbs_seals_deal_with_byron_allen_to_lease_all_of/) its 11:35 p.m. ET late-night timeslot, formerly occupied by (https://www.lipstickalley.com/threads/the-late-show-w-stephen-colbert-has-been-canceled-to-end-in-may-2026-cbs-cites-financial-decision.5943898/page-3) Stephen Colbert's The Late Show, to entertainment mogul Byron Allen.

Starting May 22, 2026, the hour-long slot immediately following the local news will feature back-to-back episodes of Allen’s comedy series, Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen.

CBS: We’re making $15 million from Byron Allen after losing $40 million yearly with Stephen Colbert — “a $55 million swing” (https://deadline.com/2026/05/cbs-statement-byron-allen-late-show-stephen-colbert-loss-1236929852/)

CBS officially confirmed that replacing The Late Show with Stephen Colbert with a "time buy" deal from Byron Allen has generated a $55 million financial swing for the network. In a statement addressing the financial reality (https://share.google/aimode/C6e7BpRESHSH66HBt) of its late-night lineup, CBS disclosed that The Late Show was losing roughly $40 million annually. By shifting to a model where Allen Media Group leases the 11:30 PM hour, the network has turned that deficit into $15 million in pure profit.

TMC

06-03-2026, 07:58 PM

CBS sells Byron Allen the 11:35 p.m. timeslot Stephen Colbert is exiting (https://latenighter.com/news/cbs-replaces-colbert-byron-allen/)

CBS has announced (https://www.resetera.com/threads/cbs-seals-deal-with-byron-allen-to-lease-all-of-late-night-after-stephen-colbert-exits-in-may.1483696/) a deal to sell (https://www.reddit.com/r/television/comments/1se4str/cbs_seals_deal_with_byron_allen_to_lease_all_of/) its 11:35 p.m. ET late-night timeslot, formerly occupied by (https://www.lipstickalley.com/threads/the-late-show-w-stephen-colbert-has-been-canceled-to-end-in-may-2026-cbs-cites-financial-decision.5943898/page-3) Stephen Colbert's The Late Show, to entertainment mogul Byron Allen.

Starting May 22, 2026, the hour-long slot immediately following the local news will feature back-to-back episodes of Allen’s comedy series, Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen.

Zhb3_sT5zXQ

Colbert was unceremoniously kicked off TV in pretty suspicious circumstances. I wanted to look into how this happened and why, and who is this mysterious figure replacing the once great late night institution.
We explore who Billionaire Byron Allen is and review his show Comics Unleashed and figure out how it replaced The Late Show.

TMC

06-04-2026, 09:36 PM

Jimmy Kimmel dominates the 11:35 p.m. hour in first faceoff with Jimmy Fallon since Stephen Colbert’s late-night exit (https://latenighter.com/news/ratings/kimmel-leads-first-post-colbert-ratings-snapshot/)

According to LateNighter, Kimmel’s Monday show had 2.185 million total viewers and 295,000 viewers in the 18-49 demo — more than Fallon’s Tonight Show and Byron Allen’s Comics Unleashed combined. Monday marked the first time Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Tonight Show both had fresh episodes on the same night since Colbert’s final The Late Show on May 21.

TMC

06-14-2026, 02:44 AM

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CBS is facing fresh scrutiny after ratings reportedly plunged following Stephen Colbert's departure from 'The Late Show'. Byron Allen's 'Comics Unleashed' may be saving the network millions, but media experts warn lower viewership could impact CBS programming, local news ratings, and late-night television. Here's the latest on CBS, Stephen Colbert, Byron Allen, and the future of late-night TV.

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0:00 Steven Colbert Exit: Byron Allen Takes CBS Late Night
0:11 CBS Saves Millions: Allen's No-Cost Show
1:15 Byron Allen Ratings Crash: Viewership Falls Drastically
3:18 Streaming, NBA Finals Disrupt TV Viewership
4:18 Byron Allen: Profit Matters More Than Ratings
6:25 Comics Unleashed: Ratings Plummet Below 1 Million
7:34 Byron Allen's Time Buy: CBS Profit Strategy
9:35 Comics Unleashed Style: Critics Slam Low Impact
10:41 Future of TV: Ratings vs Profitability Battle

How Colbert’s Replacement Is Helping Tank the Rest of CBS (https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/tv/articles/colbert-replacement-helping-tank-rest-023006431.html)

Lower ratings in the CBS time slot formerly occupied by Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show could harm the network’s other programming, media experts say. After Colbert’s cancellation, CBS brought in comedian and business executive Byron Allen to host Comics Unleashed, for which Allen Media covers all production costs. But Nielsen data viewed by Status also reveal lower ratings than Colbert generated toward the end of his run. Specifically, ratings for the comedy panel show fell 64 percent.

TMC

07-05-2026, 07:27 PM

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How Colbert’s Replacement Is Helping Tank the Rest of CBS (https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/tv/articles/colbert-replacement-helping-tank-rest-023006431.html)

Lower ratings in the CBS time slot formerly occupied by Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show could harm the network’s other programming, media experts say. After Colbert’s cancellation, CBS brought in comedian and business executive Byron Allen to host Comics Unleashed, for which Allen Media covers all production costs. But Nielsen data viewed by Status also reveal lower ratings than Colbert generated toward the end of his run. Specifically, ratings for the comedy panel show fell 64 percent.

Lower ratings in the CBS time slot formerly occupied by Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show could harm the network’s other programming, media experts say. (https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/how-stephen-colberts-replacement-is-helping-tank-the-rest-of-cbs/)

Media experts warn (https://share.google/aimode/KjpJghVGvhUDaN96I) that the steep 64% drop in ratings for CBS's late-night hour—currently occupied by (https://www.reddit.com/r/entertainment/comments/1u0g7d4/colberts_replacement_pushes_back_after_ratings/) Byron Allen's Comics Unleashed following the cancellation (https://www.reddit.com/r/LateShow/comments/1u51jqx/colberts_firing_sent_late_show_audience_into/) of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (https://www.reddit.com/r/LateShow/comments/1tyvtqe/colbert_replacements_latenight_ratings_disaster/)—is creating a negative "lead-out" effect (https://www.reddit.com/r/television/comments/1u4gxem/lower_ratings_in_the_cbs_time_slot_formerly/). Because late-night historically serves as a crucial nightly anchor, the sudden loss of a strong broadcast lead-in is exacerbating broader viewership declines across CBS’s other primetime and morning programming. The network pivoted to Byron Allen's show through a cost-saving time-buy arrangement, shifting the slot from a reported $40 million annual loss into a profit for CBS. However, the program now draws an average of only 635,000 viewers, with just 82,000 in the critical 18-49 advertiser demographic. Consequently, television analysts point out that affiliates are taking a hit. The severe audience bleed at 11:30 p.m. starves the local news broadcasts that immediately follow, creating a damaging ripple effect down the schedule.