CBS has sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry by canceling the top-rated Late Show With Stephen Colbert, prompting critics to accuse the network’s parent company of caving to President Trump.
Colbert announced the cancellation on his Thursday, July 17 episode. Appearing deflated, the late-night comedian said: “Next year will be our last season. The network will be ending The Late Show in May.”
The studio audience booed the news and Colbert replied, “Yeah, I share your feelings.”
The Emmy-winning comic revealed he learned the news a day earlier, and said CBS would not be replacing him. Instead, he said: “It was all just going away.”
Related: Stephen Colbert Compares Trump-Musk Beef to ‘Spicy’ Real Housewives Feud
CBS Studios and parent Paramount Global released a statement saying the decision was “financial.”
“We are proud that Stephen called CBS home. He and the broadcast will be remembered in the pantheon of greats that graced late night television. 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,” the statement read.
It should be noted, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is the No. 1 network late-night program.
On July 14, LateNighter.com published its quarterly ratings report, saying The Late Show averaged 2.4 million total viewers, ahead of ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! (1.77 million), and double the audience of NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (1.19 million). Kimmel tops the 18–49 demo with 220,000 viewers, Colbert is second. Fallon is a distant third.
The Late Show has provided a high-profile platform for Black artists, athletes and politicians. In last few weeks, guests have included award-winning actors Colman Domingo, Audra McDonald, and Angela Bassett; comedians Amber Ruffin and Wanda Sykes, Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Georgia), and University of South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley, who chatted about her new memoir.
But Colbert leans left and is an outspoken critic of Trump, whose administration has the power to veto Paramount’s $8 billion merger with Skydance Media.
Earlier this week, Colbert called Paramount’s recent $16 million lawsuit settlement with Trump over the editing of a 60 Minutes interview with political rival Kamala Harris “big fat bribe.”
Trump gloated over the cancellation news Friday, writing on this Truth social platform: “I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings. I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert!” His ratings dig was obviously incorrect.
After Colbert’s team posted news of the cancellation to Instagram, fans, celebrities and politicians filled the post with comments.
His Grammy-winning former bandleader Jon Baptiste replied: “The greatest to ever do it.”
Fan Geo McElroy wrote: “CBS and Paramount caved to Trump so Paramount could get their deal done which requires Trump’s approval- the dictator won again.”
Fellow late-night host Jimmy Kimmel shared Colbert’s announcement video in an Instagram Story and criticized CBS, writing: “Love you Stephen. F–k you and all your Sheldons CBS.”
Over on the X platform author Stephen King wrote, “Colbert canceled? Please tell me it’s a joke.”
“The news of Stephen Colbert’s late-night show cancellation is disheartening. I’ve been fortunate to appear on @colbertlateshow four different times. Each time, Stephen asked important questions and made sure to make us laugh,” former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams wrote on X.
California Sen. Adam Schiff, who was a guest on The Late Show Thursday, added on X: “If Paramount and CBS ended The Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know. And deserves better.”
A Friday editorial in Hollywood industry trade TheWrap described Paramount’s decision as “further capitulation to Trump.”
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