CBS cancels 'The Late Show' with Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert announces the end of his CBS show. The cancellation sparks controversy over his recent criticism of Trump and Paramount.
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CBS has confirmed that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, one of the most influential late-night programs in the United States, will end its run in May 2026, when the 2025-2026 season concludes and the host’s contract, which began in 2015, expires. Colbert announced the news to the audience at a recent taping, receiving boos and expressing his gratitude: “I’m not going to be replaced. This whole thing is going away.”
Financial or political end?
CBS insists the decision was "purely financial" due to the chaotic late-night landscape: loss of traditional viewership, digital fragmentation, and declining advertising. However, the cancellation came just three days after Colbert publicly criticized Paramount for paying Donald Trump $16 million as part of a settlement for a lawsuit related to the show. 60 Minutes.
The timing has raised suspicions of political motivations:
Senator Elizabeth Warren declared that “America deserves to know if their program was canceled for political reasons.” Meanwhile, Senator Adam Schiff called for transparency and Writers Guild of America referred the case for investigation into possible irregularities.
Public figures such as Jimmy Kimmel, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ben Stiller, Judd Apatow, Jon Batiste, and Seth Meyers expressed surprise, outrage, and support for Colbert.
The program, with an average of 2.4 million viewers and growth in 2025, the format late-night It's facing a structural crisis: high production costs, declining advertising, and competition from platforms like YouTube and TikTok. According to sources, the production was losing nearly $40 million annually, despite leading its time slot.
Additionally, CBS has decided to retire the “Late Show” franchise entirely, with no plans for a replacement following Colbert’s departure and a 33-year precedent from David Letterman.
What will happen in the next 10 months?
Colbert has promised an intense final season, with complete editorial freedom. Comedians like John Oliver have expressed their desire to see what Colbert might do before the show's final closing.
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