CBS has canceled The Late Show with Stephen Colbert just a few days after Colbert criticised the network’s parent company, Paramount, for its high-profile settlement with President Trump.
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ends in May 2026 and The Late Show will retire entirely after a 33-year run in what CBS insisted was a “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night.”
The news hit just days after Colbert criticised Paramount for settling a lawsuit with Donald Trump for $16 million over the president’s claim that CBS News deceptively edited an interview with the then-presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
And it’s also worth noting that the settlement, and the announcement of the end of The Late Show, come amid Paramount’s bid to get its $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media over the line (this is the same merger that’s causing South Park so much trouble). The transaction needs regulatory approval from the Trump administration, and Trump is often the butt of Colbert’s jokes.
Colbert, who has hosted the show for the last decade, called the settlement “a big fat bribe" during an episode aired earlier this week. He announced the cancelation during Thursday night’s recording. “Yeah, I share your feelings,” he said amid boos from the audience. “It’s not just the end of the show, it is the end of The Late Show on CBS. I’m not being replaced, this is all just going away.”
The announcement sparked criticism from various quarters online. Senator Adam Schiff, a Democrat who appeared as a guest on Thursday night’s show, later took to social media to say: “If Paramount and CBS ended the Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know. And deserves better.”
On the show, Schiff said Trump had created a "climate of fear."
“He wants to make the law firms afraid,” Schiff said. “He wants to make universities afraid. He wants to make immigrants afraid. He wants to make citizens afraid. He wants to make news organizations, CBS and Paramount afraid. He wants to make ABC afraid. And he is succeeding.”
Senator Elizabeth Warren, who has called for an investigation into Paramount Global’s relationship with Trump over the Skydance merger, wrote: “CBS canceled Colbert’s show just THREE DAYS after Colbert called out CBS parent company Paramount for its $16M settlement with Trump — a deal that looks like bribery. America deserves to know if his show was canceled for political reasons.”
CBS canceled Colbert’s show just THREE DAYS after Colbert called out CBS parent company Paramount for its $16M settlement with Trump – a deal that looks like bribery.
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) July 18, 2025
America deserves to know if his show was canceled for political reasons.
Watch and share his message. pic.twitter.com/Rz7HcWFLYM
Fellow talk show host Jimmy Kimmel expressed support for his peer in a post on Instagram, saying: "Love you Stephen. F*ck you and all your Sheldons CBS."
Here’s the prepared joint statement from George Cheeks, co-CEO of Paramount Global and President and Chief Executive Officer, CBS, Amy Reisenbach, President, CBS Entertainment, and David Stapf, President, CBS Studios:
“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.
“Our admiration, affection, and respect for the talents of Stephen Colbert and his incredible team made this agonizing decision even more difficult. Stephen has taken CBS late night by storm with cutting-edge comedy, a must-watch monologue and interviews with leaders in entertainment, politics, news and newsmakers across all areas. The show has been #1 in late night for nine straight seasons; Stephen's comedy resonates daily across digital and social media; and the broadcast is a staple of the nation’s zeitgeist.
“The accomplishments of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert are memorable and significant in performance, quality and stature. With much gratitude, we look forward to honoring Stephen and celebrating the show over the next 10 months alongside its millions of fans and viewers.”
Photo by Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty Images.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
