Democrats Erred in Believing CBS Would Cancel The Colbert Show
The popular late-night talk show, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, has been cancelled, according to CBS CEO George Cheeks. Cheeks confirmed that the decision was purely a financial one, citing a challenging backdrop in late-night television and a significant decline in the late-night advertising market as the main factors [2][5].
Despite the show's top ratings, CBS faced substantial financial losses from The Late Show, reportedly between $40 million and $50 million annually. This aligns with the broader industry trend of declining late-night advertising revenue, which dropped from an estimated $439 million in 2018 to around $220 million in 2024 [4].
The cancellation has sparked controversy, with some suggesting political reasons could be at play. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Adam Schiff, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have all expressed concerns about potential political motivations [1]. However, CBS leadership has emphasised economic challenges as the sole cause for cancellation [1][2][5].
Stephen Colbert himself announced that the show would end in May 2026, continuing to air until then [3]. Meanwhile, union and writers' groups have raised concerns and called for investigations into the cancellation, but no official link to political reasons has been substantiated by CBS management statements [1].
Protests have taken place outside the show's headquarters in New York City, and Democratic Party politicians have called for a federal investigation into the cancellation. Despite these calls, CBS maintains that the cancellation was not due to political reasons or any pending acquisition [1].
The high costs associated with the show, including Colbert's salary and the team of writers, were contributing factors to its financial losses. As the late-night television landscape continues to evolve, it remains to be seen what the future holds for this iconic show and its host.
- The controversies surrounding The Late Show with Stephen Colbert's cancellation extend beyond financial reasons, with some speculating that policy-and-legislation and politics might be involved, as Democratic Party politicians have called for a federal investigation and union and writers' groups have raised concerns.
- Despite some suggesting a link between the show's cancellation and politics, CBS leadership maintains that the cancellation was purely a financial decision, citing economic challenges such as high costs associated with the show and the decline in late-night advertising revenue as the main factors.
