CBS announced Thursday that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will air its final episode in May 2026, ending the franchise after a “historic run.” The network, which has hosted Colbert since 2015, described him as “irreplaceable” and confirmed it will retire the show.
“We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and will retire ‘THE LATE SHOW’ franchise at that time,” CBS executives said in a joint statement. “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.”
They emphasized the decision was “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night,” adding, “It is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.”
Colbert, who succeeded David Letterman after hosting The Colbert Report for nearly a decade, shared the news on his show Thursday, revealing he learned of the cancellation just the night before.
“It’s not just the end of our show,” he said. “I’m not being replaced. This is all just going away.”
“The folks at CBS have been great partners,” he added.
Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), who recently recorded a segment with Colbert, questioned CBS’s explanation on X: “If Paramount and CBS ended the Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know. And deserves better.”
CBS’s parent company, Paramount, is currently navigating an $8 billion merger with Hollywood studio Skydance. The deal has faced delays amid ongoing legal disputes involving former President Donald Trump, who filed a lawsuit over a 60 Minutes interview with Vice President Kamala Harris. Paramount agreed to settle the suit with a $16 million payment to Trump’s future presidential library but stated the lawsuit is “completely separate” from the merger.
Colbert recently condemned the settlement on his show, calling it “a big fat bribe.”
“Paramount knows they could have easily fought it, because in their own words, the lawsuit was completely without merit,” he said.
Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel also criticized the cancellation, writing on Instagram: “Love you Stephen,” followed by, “[Expletive] you and all your Sheldons CBS,” seemingly referencing CBS’s The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon.
CBS also announced it will not continue After Midnight, hosted by Taylor Tomlinson, after her departure. Colbert, an executive producer on the show, expressed support for both Tomlinson and CBS at the time, saying, “I want to thank CBS for their constant support and invaluable partnership on ‘After Midnight,’ and the whole staff for their amazing dedication.”
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