In a shocking move, CBS is ending \u201cThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert\u201d next year, and apparently exiting the late-night television business altogether.<\/p>\n
The network, citing financial pressures, said the cancellation will take effect in May 2026, the normal end of the broadcast TV season.<\/p>\n
The decision is particularly surprising because \u201cThe Late Show\u201d is typically the highest-rated show in late-night. And the timing is bound to raise questions because it comes just two weeks after the parent company of CBS, Paramount,\u00a0settled\u00a0a lawsuit lodged by U.S. President Trump against CBS News.<\/p>\n
The settlement \u2013 and Paramount\u2019s pending merger with Skydance Media \u2013 spurred speculation about Colbert\u2019s future at CBS. Colbert, after all, is one of the staunchest critics of Trump on television.<\/p>\n
Colbert alluded to the online worrying about his fate when he returned from vacation on Monday night. He condemned the Paramount settlement on air, likening it to a \u201cbig fat bribe,\u201d and he joked that his new mustache would protect him from the corporation: \u201cOkay, okay, but how are they going to put pressure on Stephen Colbert\u2026 if they can\u2019t find him?\u201d<\/p>\n
CBS, however, said in a statement that \u201cthis is purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night. It is not related in any way to the show\u2019s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.\u201d<\/p>\n
The corporate financial pressures are real; Paramount laid off another 3.5 percent of its workforce just last month.<\/p>\n
Due to plunging ad revenue, \u201cThe Late Show\u201d is no longer profitable, according to a source close to the network.<\/p>\n