CBS to cancel the “Late Show with Stephen Colbert” after the 2025–2026 television season, ending a decades-long era that began when the network poached David Letterman from NBC back in 1993.
The network claims it’s a “financial decision,” but many are questioning what’s really going on behind the scenes.
According to CBS executives, Colbert is “irreplaceable,” and the entire “Late Show” franchise will be retired. But this sudden announcement—delivered with zero fanfare—has raised eyebrows across the industry, especially given Colbert’s consistent role in pushing anti-Trump, far-left commentary to a dwindling late-night audience.
The network insists the decision is not related to the show’s performance or content, but that statement is already being viewed as damage control.
The truth is, late-night comedy—once a powerhouse for advertisers and cultural influence—has become a bloated, politically charged relic. Younger viewers have abandoned traditional cable and network broadcasts in favor of on-demand streaming, YouTube clips, and TikTok soundbites. Combine that with Colbert’s relentless left-wing virtue signaling, and it’s no surprise CBS is quietly backing out.
The decision comes at a curious time. Skydance Media, led by David Ellison, is poised to acquire Paramount Global—parent company of CBS and Comedy Central.
Ellison is reportedly more aligned with the America First, pro-Trump worldview—putting woke entertainers like Colbert and Jon Stewart squarely in the crosshairs. Both men have spent years using their platforms to mock Trump supporters and conservatives, and now, they may be facing the consequences of that smug elitism.
California Democrat Senator Adam Schiff (who famously spent years hyping up the Russian collusion hoax) took to social media to stir up outrage, demanding to know whether CBS’s move was politically motivated. Ironically, it’s the same kind of media interference Schiff had no problem with when networks were pushing anti-Trump narratives 24/7.
CBS has already begun scaling back its late-night programming. It recently axed “After Midnight,” a millennial-focused show hosted by Taylor Tomlinson, who also decided to walk away.
The writing is on the wall: the traditional late-night formula—smirking left-wing hosts, stale Trump jokes, and a celebrity echo chamber—is no longer profitable or culturally relevant.
The timing of the announcement has also puzzled media insiders. A high-profile exit like Colbert’s would usually be rolled out during “upfronts,” the major network presentations to advertisers in May.
That’s where Johnny Carson famously announced his retirement in 1991, and where CBS toasted David Letterman before his sendoff. Colbert got none of that—just a quiet goodbye wrapped in corporate-speak and broadcast to an increasingly uninterested public.
The cancellation underscores a broader shift in American media. For years, late-night shows operated as mouthpieces for the progressive left, cloaking partisan talking points in faux-comedy.
But under the new media realignment, executives are starting to realize the old model just doesn’t work anymore. Viewers are waking up, advertisers are getting cautious, and the political monopoly once held by the entertainment elite is fracturing.