![CBS has announced the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, ending the iconic late-night talk show in May 2026. The decision follows Colbert’s criticism of CBS parent Paramount over a $16M Trump lawsuit settlement and an ongoing $8.4B merger with Skydance Media. [Image by CBS]](https://www.thepostnews.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/3016625_0148.jpg)
CBS has announced the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, ending the iconic late-night talk show in May 2026. The decision follows Colbert’s criticism of CBS parent Paramount over a $16M Trump lawsuit settlement and an ongoing $8.4B merger with Skydance Media. [Image by CBS]
The news, which CBS confirmed in a statement Thursday, follows just days after Colbert sharply condemned CBS’s parent company, Paramount Global, for settling a $16 million lawsuit brought by Donald Trump. The president had sued the network for deceptively editing a 60 Minutes interview with his 2024 election rival, Kamala Harris. Colbert called the settlement “a big fat bribe,” following on the heels of Paramount’s seeking federal approval for its $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media.
Colbert announced the news Thursday’s taping of the Ed Sullivan Theater, explaining to the audience that he had only learned the news the night before.
“Yeah, I feel your pain,” he said, as the audience started booing and screaming “no.”
“It’s not just the end of the show. It’s the end of The Late Show on CBS. I’m not being replaced—this is all just going away.”
The host, the replacement for David Letterman in 2015, thanked the crowd, his 200-member crew, and CBS, which he referred to as “great partners.”
“It is a great gig. I wish someone else was getting it,” Colbert said. “But I am happy to do it with this typical cast of idiots for another 10 months.”
CBS officials, such as Paramount Global co-CEO George Cheeks, CBS Entertainment President Amy Reisenbach, and CBS Studios President David Stapf, penned in a joint statement that Colbert is “irreplaceable” and that the choice was “purely financial.”
“It has nothing to do with the show’s performance, content, or other things going on at Paramount,” the statement read.
We are glad that Stephen called CBS home. He and the broadcast will be remembered in the pantheon of greats which lit up late-night television.
The Late Show, which was founded in 1993, was a reaction to a network rivalry between NBC and CBS after David Letterman lost hosting The Tonight Show when Johnny Carson retired. The show has since become a staple of late-night television, with Colbert continuing its legacy and leading late-night ratings for nine consecutive seasons.
The cancellation happens amid increased scrutiny of the business and political transactions of Paramount Global. Colbert’s assault on the Trump lawsuit settlement aired only three days before the show cancellation announcement—has had political repercussions.
Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Adam Schiff warned that the cancellation of the show could be politically driven. Guest Schiff on Thursday’s show, tweeted on X (formerly Twitter):
“If it was Paramount and CBS that ended The Late Show for political reasons, the public ought to be told. And better than that.”
Warren reinforced the demand with demands for publicity regarding the decision and Paramount’s links to Trump as it sought its merger campaign.
Paramount, which characterized the lawsuit as “wholly without merit,” chose to settle by giving the money to Trump’s potential presidential library—rather than paying him outright. Colbert mocked the gesture on Tuesday’s show:
“Paramount knows they were able to fight it. They called it without merit. And remember—Paramount made Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. They recognize ‘completely without merit’ when they see it.”
Colbert started out in politics as a satirist and conservative target critic, then went on to become a star hosting The Colbert Report for Comedy Central before joining CBS. His departure is a cultural milestone moment for the late-night format, which continues to grapple with changing audience habits, rising production costs, and intensified competition from streaming and social media.
Competing ABC and NBC shows like Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon are also likely to remain in production. Fallon and Late Night host Seth Meyers both have deals through 2028.
The entertainment community was quick to react to the news, with support messages flooding in for Colbert and his crew.
“Love you Stephen. Forget you and all your Sheldons, CBS,” fellow late-night host Jimmy Kimmel wrote.
Jon Batiste, the former show bandleader, called Colbert “the greatest to ever do it.”
Actor Ben Stiller tweeted, “Sorry to hear CBS is cancelling one of the best shows they have.”
In the meantime, Colbert remains in charge of The Late Show for one final season. As he told viewers:
“I’ve had the honor and the weight of sharing with you what we do every day in front of this camera for 10 years. It’s been a blessing. Let’s ride this wave as long as we can.”
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