CBS has announced that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will come to an end in May 2026, concluding after the upcoming broadcast season. According to the network, the decision is “purely a financial decision.”
Executives confirmed that Colbert will not be replaced once the show ends.
“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 network said in a statement.
Earlier this month, Paramount also agreed to settle a lawsuit brought by US President Donald Trump. The case involved a 60 Minutes interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris, his Democratic rival in the 2024 election, which aired in October.
Stephen Colbert, who has regularly criticized Trump on air, told his audience on Thursday night that he had only been informed of the cancellation the evening before.
Senator Adam Schiff of California, a Democrat and guest on Thursday’s episode, addressed the announcement on social media.
“If Paramount and CBS ended the Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know. And deserves better,” Schiff wrote on X.
The Late Show originally premiered in 1993 with host David Letterman.
