CBS will end 'The Late Show' with Stephen Colbert in 2026

[Ali Gator]

In a shocking move, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is ending in May 2026.

“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert will end its historic run in May 2026 at the end of the broadcast season.  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,” said George Cheeks, Co-CEO Paramount Global and President and Chief Executive Officer, CBS, Amy Reisenbach, President, CBS Entertainment and David Stapf, President, CBS Studios in a statement.

Colbert, who announced the news during tonight’s taping, said that he was grateful for giving him the chair. “I’m not being replaced, this is all just going away,” Colbert said.

CBS said this was “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,” it added.

 

‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ Ending Next Year With CBS Retiring Late-Night Franchise

DEADLINE.COM

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In a shocking move, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is ending in May 2026. “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert will end its historic run in May 2026 at the end of...

 

[Nightowl]

Not surprising considering some of CBS/Paramount’s other recent actions.

[BSR]

4 hours ago, Nightowl said:

Not surprising considering some of CBS/Paramount’s other recent actions.

I checked the show’s ratings.  After a dip a couple of years ago, ratings have rebounded and were actually improving slightly, no mean feat given that overall TV ratings continue to sink.  I’m not familiar with CBS/Paramount’s recent actions.  What’s been happening such that this move comes as no surprise?

[Nightowl]

3 hours ago, BSR said:

I checked the show’s ratings.  After a dip a couple of years ago, ratings have rebounded and were actually improving slightly, no mean feat given that overall TV ratings continue to sink.  I’m not familiar with CBS/Paramount’s recent actions.  What’s been happening such that this move comes as no surprise?

CBS/Paramount has taken a number of actions that have been viewed as succumbing to political pressure.  I’d recommend googling CBS and/or Paramount and reading what comes up.  I don’t want to run afoul of the rules by going into it here.

[+ purplekow]

Factually, Paramount was being sued by Trump organization for a supposedly biased 60 minutes interview with Kamala Harris.  Paramount settled for 16 million dollars but did not admit to any guilt.

Considering Colbert is very very very anti Trump, the settlement one day and his being let go, albeit in a year from last May, smells like yesterday's fish.  Squid pro quo.  

Edited July 18 by purplekow

[+ purplekow]

Some may believe this is one more step towards the silencing of all opposition.  It could just be a coincidence. It is true that reruns of SWAT and the Equalizer or similar fare will be much less expensive in a time period in which, in general, fewer and fewer people are watching. Those that are watching skew older than the target demographic for advertisers.  

[jackcali]

24 minutes ago, purplekow said:

Some may believe this is one more step towards the silencing of all opposition.  It could just be a coincidence. It is true that reruns of SWAT and the Equalizer or similar fare will be much less expensive in a time period in which, in general, fewer and fewer people are watching. Those that are watching skew older than the target demographic for advertisers.  

Colbert is paid $15 million a year.  His contract is up in May 2026, when the show will end.  $15 million plus the costs of production (even of a talk show) is a lot of money to spend on a time slot that can be filled with syndicated shows that will generate comparable revenues.  

Colbert has been making that $15 million for the last six years, so I'm not particularly worried about him paying his rent when he retires from the show.

[+ purplekow]

Not concerned about any television personality's finances.  If they live a well financed life, even small parted actors can live comfortably as long as they are working.  

This is a much bigger issue. 

A licensed broadcast company being sued by government officials and not taking a stand is, for me, a sign of a co-opted media which is one more step in a bad direction.  The "coincidental" cancelling of a show which is critical of the government officials, appears collusive.  Finances may favor cancelling a show, but the timing of this cancellation is suspicious of an attempt to quiet opposition.   

PBS and NPR being defunded is another example of the media facing a government silencing.

Edited July 18 by purplekow

[Ali Gator]

Let us not forget Colbert was very critical of CBS and their decisions to 'settle' the lawsuit earlier in the week on his show. And then - out of nowhere - CBS pulls the plug on his show. It's a little too coincidental for me.

Overall, though, the four big networks have been losing viewers for years, thanks to streaming services and other entertainment options.  Morning news shows, daytime programming, evening news, evening programming, and late night talk have all been hemorrhaging viewers and suffering in the ratings. 

I'm certain if Colbert, at 58, would like to continue in some kind of talk format, there will be a future home for him - perhaps on cable, or his own streamer. Everyone thought it was over for Bill Maher back in 2001, when ABC canceled his late night show for 'controversial remarks' he made, and he found even better success on his HBO show- where he's been for over 20 years. 

[BSR]

7 hours ago, purplekow said:

PBS and NPR being defunded is another example of the media facing a government silencing.

Have to disagree … neither the government nor anyone else is silencing PBS & NPR.  Both can continue broadcasting but will simply have to do so by switching to ad-based funding or by raising more private funding.  Both options are viable.  I doubt either PBS or NPR will disappear any time soon because both have a core of die-hard (and well-to-do) fans.

[+ RyanDean]

The most concerning immediate impact will be not be on programming but on infrastructure subsidized by CPB. Especially in terms of keeping stations beyond the major markets open and operable, particularly rural radio stations and the "translators" that transmit over-the-air signals across major distances in Western states or via internet interfaces. In the small poor rural town where some of my family has long lived, the local public radio station remains -- for now -- the only freely accessible source of actually local information (weather emergency notifications, school closures, road conditions, no-cost event announcements). And this station doesn't even air much if any NPR news programming that isn't produced by regional public radio stations in the state. And with no private local funding (remember it's a poor town in a large poor state), I can't see how a tiny station like this survives these cataclysmic cuts to the CPB budget. 

[Km411]

11 hours ago, jackcali said:

so I'm not particularly worried about him paying his rent when he retires from the show.

I don’t think the concern is for Colbert

[TonyDown]

I remember when CBS launched The Late Show, with host David Letterman.

That was a big deal, due to the NBC/Jay Leno kerfuffle.  The expectation was Letterman was next in line for The Tonight Show.  He then hosted The Late Show for 22 years, followed by Colbert.  

CBS recently let go of the After Midnight show.  

Corporate media is making claims that late night talk shows are too expensive to create.

Daytime dramas have been nearly wiped out by talk shows over the last 10+ years.  Apparently daytime talk is much cheaper to produce.

I wouldn't miss the daytime talk shows if they disappeared but I will miss Colbert.

I did attend a late night talk show once.  Was a blast ❤️!!

 

Edited July 18 by TonyDown

[+ BOZO T CLOWN]

23 hours ago, Ali Gator said:

In a shocking move, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is ending in May 2026.

“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert will end its historic run in May 2026 at the end of the broadcast season.  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,” said George Cheeks, Co-CEO Paramount Global and President and Chief Executive Officer, CBS, Amy Reisenbach, President, CBS Entertainment and David Stapf, President, CBS Studios in a statement.

Colbert, who announced the news during tonight’s taping, said that he was grateful for giving him the chair. “I’m not being replaced, this is all just going away,” Colbert said.

CBS said this was “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,” it added.

 

‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ Ending Next Year With CBS Retiring Late-Night Franchise

DEADLINE.COM

---

In a shocking move, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is ending in May 2026. “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert will end its historic run in May 2026 at the end of...

Another pompous ass bites the dust. Never could figure why he was hired. And he just kept getting worse.
Kimmel's numbers are even worse. So.....the clock's ticking on Jackass Jimmy.

Good riddance to bad rubbish!!!!!
Rubbish that has reeked with the foul stench of the toxic waste dump which it is, and has been for years.

The ONLY positive to the Late Show was that it was a great cure for insomnia. Watching Colbert trying to by funny could put anyone to sleep in about 3 minutes. Colbert is about as clever as Forest Gump, but not as cute.

They call it the Late Show because it has been dead for years.
Translation: Nobody is watching it.
Goodbye, Jug Ears, you could have been a contender... Your bed is made, and now you must sleep in it.

BTC
🤡

 

Edited July 18 by BOZO T CLOWN

[+ Lucky]

Paramount billed my credit card for streaming services despite my never having signed up with them. I don't know how they got my credit card number, but they still send me messages even though I successfully disputed the charge.

I think I'll sue them for $16 million dollars too!

[+ BOZO T CLOWN]

11 hours ago, Ali Gator said:

I'm certain if Colbert, at 58, would like to continue in some kind of talk format, there will be a future home for him - perhaps on cable, or his own streamer.

Actually, Colbert is 61 years old, not 58. He could do a podcast with Joy Reid, another washed-up, low IQ, lunatic has-been. They could call it, "Dumb & Dumber".

BTC
🤡
 

Edited July 18 by BOZO T CLOWN

[+ purplekow]

24 minutes ago, BOZO T CLOWN said:

Actually, Colbert is 61 years old, not 58. He could do a podcast with Joy Reid, another washed-up, low IQ, lunatic has-been. They could call it, "Dumb & Dumber".

BTC
🤡
 

He did graduate from Northwestern.  Not exactly as prestigious as clown college, but it is a reputable school.   

[+ purplekow]

7 hours ago, BSR said:

Have to disagree … neither the government nor anyone else is silencing PBS & NPR.  Both can continue broadcasting but will simply have to do so by switching to ad-based funding or by raising more private funding.  Both options are viable.  I doubt either PBS or NPR will disappear any time soon because both have a core of die-hard (and well-to-do) fans.

They will go on but the goal was to make it more difficult and to have them cut back on their programming.  There is a difference between silencing and going silent.  Silencing is hush and a dirty look, going silent is more a screeched Shut the Fuck up and a ball gag shoved in the mouth.   There are too many people watching for a Shut the Fuck Up so the next best thing is an attempt at silencing.  

[BSR]

12 minutes ago, purplekow said:

They will go on but the goal was to make it more difficult and to have them cut back on their programming.  There is a difference between silencing and going silent.  Silencing is hush and a dirty look, going silent is more a screeched Shut the Fuck up and a ball gag shoved in the mouth.   There are too many people watching for a Shut the Fuck Up so the next best thing is an attempt at silencing.  

I don’t understand the mentality of “I like something, so I’m going to force other people to pay for it.”  If you enjoy PBS and NPR, knock yourself out! watch and listen to your heart’s content!  But you’ll have to pay for it yourself because it’s wrong to force other people who don’t like PBS and NPR to foot the bill.

[Johnrom]

I read the show had 200 staffers and was losing 40 million a year.  Sounds like a lot of bloat. Cannot run a business that way. You don’t need that many comedy writers ✍️ for a show.   

[+ BOZO T CLOWN]

18 minutes ago, Johnrom said:

I read the show had 200 staffers and was losing 40 million a year.  Sounds like a lot of bloat. Cannot run a business that way. You don’t need that many comedy writers ✍️ for a show.   

A staff of 200? And not one of those writers could make up anything that was funny?  The show isn't funny, and it isn't original either. It is distasteful and asinine. Thankfully, after he's gone, we will still have Jon Stewart, Jimmy Kimmel, and the hens at the View to get our unbiased news.

Bozo yearns for the days of yesteryear when truly funny people like Johnny Carson, Merv Griffin, Jay Leno, and Joan Rivers ruled the late night hours.  Bozo can’t stomach any of these current blathering bigots, filled with hate, filled with vitriol, filed with poison….. as they come out every night to their studio, their stage, their cameras, and proceed to pull their pants down, squatting and crapping all over on the forgotten man, the everyday John and Jane Q Public they loathe with a passion, and that they punish with a vengeance with their lies... 

Colbert is such an arrogant ass... That smug self appointed elitist smirk got slapped clean off his dopey face.
Comeuppance is a beautiful thing.

BTC
🤡
 

[+ Travis69]

20 minutes ago, BOZO T CLOWN said:

A staff of 200? And not one of those writers could make up anything that was funny?  The show isn't funny, and it isn't original either. It is distasteful and asinine. Thankfully, after he's gone, we will still have Jon Stewart, Jimmy Kimmel, and the hens at the View to get our unbiased news.

Bozo yearns for the days of yesteryear when truly funny people like Johnny Carson, Merv Griffin, Jay Leno, and Joan Rivers ruled the late night hours.  Bozo can’t stomach any of these current blathering bigots, filled with hate, filled with vitriol, filed with poison….. as they come out every night to their studio, their stage, their cameras, and proceed to pull their pants down, squatting and crapping all over on the forgotten man, the everyday John and Jane Q Public they loathe with a passion, and that they punish with a vengeance with their lies... 

Colbert is such an arrogant ass... That smug self appointed elitist smirk got slapped clean off his dopey face.
Comeuppance is a beautiful thing.

BTC
🤡
 

Who's forcing you to watch?

[jackcali]

7 hours ago, BOZO T CLOWN said:

Bozo yearns for the days of yesteryear when truly funny people like Johnny Carson, Merv Griffin, Jay Leno, and Joan Rivers ruled the late night hours. 

I would trade away everyone now on television just to have Joan Rivers back.  

[+ Italiano]

I will definitely miss him. Brilliant, sharp, funny guy. I LOVE his stinging hilarious comments about a very popular guy! 😄

[Ali Gator]

12 hours ago, Johnrom said:

I read the show had 200 staffers and was losing 40 million a year.  Sounds like a lot of bloat. Cannot run a business that way. You don’t need that many comedy writers ✍️ for a show.   

If this was truly the case, they would have canceled him long ago. No network can sustain a loss of $40M a year for multiple years. The fact that they announce the end of the show within days of his criticism of their lawsuit settlement speaks volumes.