# CBS ends "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-ends-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert/1021002>\
**Category:** Politics & Elections\
**Tags:** trump\
**Created:** [July 18, 2025, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-ends-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert/1021002 "2025-07-18T00:03:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\
**Post date:** [July 18, 2025, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-ends-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert/1021002/1 "2025-07-18T00:03:07Z")

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CBS has announced that _The Late Show with Stephen Colbert_ will not be renewed, after its next season wraps in May of 2026. The network cites "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.” CBS’s announcement indicates that the Late Show franchise, which was started by David Letterman when he jumped from NBC in 1993, is being retired.

However, it’s difficult to not see this through a political lens: CBS recently agreed to a $16 million settlement of a lawsuit from Donald Trump over the _60 Minutes_ interview with Kamala Harris; the settlement is widely seen as an appeasement to the Trump administration, as Paramount seeks to gain regulatory approval of its merger with Skydance Media. Colbert, of course, has made mocking and criticism of Trump a key feature of his show, and Skydance’s founder and CEO, David Ellison, appears be a Trump supporter.

> **[CBS to Cancel ‘Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ Citing ‘Financial Decision’](https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/cbs-cancel-late-show-stephen-colbert-financial-decision-1236464356/)**
>
> CBS said it planned to cancel Stephen Colbert's Late Show after next season, citing the weakening finances of late night

> **[‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ Ending Next Year With CBS Retiring...](https://deadline.com/2025/07/the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-ending-next-year-cbs-1236461787/)**
>
> 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...

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**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\
**Post date:** [July 18, 2025, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-ends-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert/1021002/2 "2025-07-18T00:06:24Z")

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Another thread in progress.

> [@CBS is ending ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ next year](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-is-ending-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-next-year/1021000):
>
> Posting here because there is no way this isn’t politically motivated: CBS, however, said in a statement that “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.” Bull fucking shit.

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**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\
**Post date:** [July 18, 2025, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cbs-ends-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert/1021002/3 "2025-07-18T00:07:20Z")

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