"“It's not just the end of our show, it's the end of 'The Late Show' on CBS. I'm not being replaced. This is all just going away,” Stephen Colbert told viewers last July, as he announced that the long-running program would be cancelled at the end of his contract. The final episode of the network's late-night talk show airs on May 21. According to CBS, the cancellation was “purely a financial decision.”"
"Even though Colbert recognizes that the economic collapse of traditional broadcast TV models may have contributed to the decision, “there are many people who believe there was another reason,” the talk show host noted in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter. Indeed, the announcement came just days after CBS and Paramount agreed to pay $16 million (13.6 million) to resolve a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump — a settlement Colbert had described in his show as “a big fat bribe.”"
"The settlement and the decision to cancel “The Late Show” also coincided with plans by Paramount — the owner of CBS — to take over movie studio Skydance. The multibillion-dollar merger required the US government's approval. Colbert, who has been hosting CBS' flagship late-night show for the past 11 years, is a renowned critic of Donald Trump, and the US president openly celebrated the comedian's cancellation."
"“I absolutely love that Colbert got fired,” the president wrote in a Truth Social post. “His talent was even less than his ratings. I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. He has even less talent than Colbert!” “The Late Show” was the most-watched late-night program, averaging more than 2.7 million viewers in 2026; another 10 million people are subscribed to Colbert's YouTube channel. Will Jimmy Kimmel be next?"
The Late Show on CBS will end on May 21 when Stephen Colbert’s contract concludes. CBS says the cancellation is purely financial, while Colbert acknowledges traditional broadcast TV economics may have contributed and suggests others believe there was another reason. The announcement followed closely after CBS and Paramount agreed to pay $16 million to resolve a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump, which Colbert previously called “a big fat bribe.” The timing also aligns with Paramount’s plan to take over Skydance, a multibillion-dollar merger requiring government approval. Colbert is known for criticizing Donald Trump, and Trump publicly celebrated the cancellation. The show averaged over 2.7 million viewers in 2026 and Colbert’s YouTube channel has about 10 million subscribers.
Read at www.dw.com
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