Stephen Colbert is being canceled because CBS announced the end of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" in May 2026, coinciding with the expiration of his contract. CBS states the cancellation is purely a financial decision amid a challenging late-night television landscape and unrelated to the show's performance or content. However, the decision came shortly after Colbert criticized a $16 million settlement between CBS's parent company Paramount and former President Trump, leading to speculation that political motivations may have influenced the cancellation. Colbert's show was highly rated and popular, which fueled the controversy and criticism from fellow hosts and politicians who suspect the cancellation was tied to political and corporate pressures rather than genuine financial losses.
Key Points:
- CBS stated the cancellation was a financial decision due to declining late-night ad revenue and changing viewership patterns, notably with 80% moving to lower-paying platforms like YouTube.
- The show consistently ranked number one in its time slot with stable or growing viewership.
- The timing aligns with Paramount's $16 million legal settlement with Trump and a merger approval process with Skydance Media, raising questions about political influences.
- Jimmy Kimmel and others in late night have publicly doubted the financial explanation, calling it an excuse.
- Colbert was a vocal critic of Trump, which intensified the controversy around the show's cancellation.
This combination of stated financial reasons and the suspicious timing of corporate and political events has fueled the narrative that Stephen Colbert's cancellation was influenced by factors beyond just the economics of late-night TV.
