CBS announces it will end Stephen Colbert's show in May 2026 for 'financial' reasons

Colbert confirmed the cancellation in Thursday's taping of his show, stating that he was notified of the change in programming on Wednesday night, and that he shared the audience's disappointment.

Published: July 17, 2025 8:20pm

CBS News on Thursday announced it will pull the plug on Stephen Colbert's late-night show next year, stating the decision was "purely financial" and not a reflection on the years-long host. 

The iconic program, which has been around for 10 seasons, will also be the last of the network's "late night" shows franchise. The network started its "late-night" programming in 1993 after landing David Letterman, according to Variety

"'THE LATE SHOW with STEPHEN COLBERT' will end its historic run in May 2026 at the end of the broadcast season," the company said in a statement. "We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and will retire 'THE LATE SHOW' franchise at that time. 

"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," the network continued. "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."

Colbert confirmed the cancellation in Thursday's taping of his show, stating that he was notified of the change in programming on Wednesday night, and that he shared the audience's disappointment.

"It's not just the end of our show, it's the end of 'The Late Show' on CBS. I'm not being replaced," he assured the audience. "This is all just going away. And I do want to say that the folks at CBS have been great partners. I'm so grateful to the Tiffany Network for giving me this chair and this beautiful theater to call home. And, of course, I'm grateful to you, the audience, who have joined us every night."

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.

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