CBS Employee Expresses Unreserved Opinions Regarding Stephen Colbert's Late Night Show Being Temporarily Suspended, Avoiding Censorship
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Cancelled: Financial Decision, Not Political
The popular late-night talk show, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, is set to come to an end in May 2026, according to a statement from CBS. The decision to cancel the show, which has been a staple of the network for over six years, is being attributed to financial reasons, not political ones.
CBS executives have emphasized that the cancellation is unrelated to the show's performance, content, or politics. In a statement, CBS described the decision as purely a financial one, driven by the challenging economics of late-night television. The decline in advertising revenue has been highlighted as the key challenge [1][2].
Stephen Colbert himself announced the cancellation to the live audience in July 2025 during a taping, confirming that the next season (2025-2026) will be the final one. Although the show had a reputation for liberal political satire, particularly during the Trump era, there is no official evidence or credible statement linking the cancellation to political reasons [2].
The cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is causing a major shake-up in the late-night landscape. The easy path to strong ratings and lucrative advertisements in late-night television is becoming less sustainable. CBS has stated that the show is losing approximately $40 million dollars a year, despite being number one in the ratings against other traditional talk shows [3].
Rumours have been circulating that the cancellation may have been due to a potential corporate merger between Paramount and Skydance. A CBS staffer spoke with Fox News and suggested that Colbert's outspoken viewpoint on the current presidency may have played a role in the show's cancellation. It is believed that getting rid of Colbert's platform would garner presidential support for the merger [3].
However, both CBS and Paramount have denied any political motivations behind the cancellation. CBS Television Chief George Cheeks, after the Skydance Media merger, emphasized that despite being fans of Colbert and the show, the economics of late-night TV made continuing the program untenable [2].
You can still see The Late Show with Stephen Colbert weeknights at 11:30pm on CBS, and you can revisit past episodes with a Paramount+ subscription. The show will remain on the 2025 TV schedule until May, and then it will be off the air until further notice.
[1] CBS: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert cancellation is purely financial. (2025). The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/01/business/media/cbs-colbert-cancellation.html
[2] CBS denies political motivations behind The Late Show with Stephen Colbert cancellation. (2025). Variety. Retrieved from https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/cbs-denies-political-motivations-behind-the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-cancellation-1235082206/
[3] The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is losing money despite being number one in the ratings. (2025). Deadline. Retrieved from https://deadline.com/2025/07/the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert-losing-money-despite-being-number-one-in-the-ratings-1235108490/
- Despite the financial decision to cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the show remains a daily blend of general news, entertainment, crime-and-justice, and social-media discussions.
- The cancellation of the political satire talk show coincides with ongoing policy-and-legislation discussions and debates about war-and-conflicts in the political landscape.
- With The Late Show with Stephen Colbert off air, viewers will miss out on the show's insightful commentary on late-night television, an essential part of daily entertainment.
- Colbert's outspoken views on politics and society on his popular late-night show may have had little influence on the financial aspects of the cancellation, despite ongoing rumors to the contrary.
