Camilla Jessen
The popular late-night show will end after the 2025–2026 season.
CBS has announced that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will be canceled at the end of the 2025–2026 season, according to The Guardian.
The decision, according to CBS’s parent company Paramount Global, is “purely financial” and unrelated to the show’s performance or content.
But the announcement comes just days after Colbert sharply criticized Paramount for its recent $16 million settlement payment to Donald Trump, raising questions about whether the cancellation is truly business—as the network claims—or political retaliation.
A Political Voice in Late Night
Colbert, who rose to fame through satirical political commentary as a fictional conservative host on The Colbert Report, initially took a more mainstream, less political approach when he began hosting The Late Show in 2015.
But that changed during Donald Trump’s presidency, when Colbert found his stride by openly mocking Trump, ultimately building a loyal and politically engaged audience.
His show became one of late night’s sharpest and most consistent critics of the Trump administration, a stance that continued through Trump’s post-presidency years.
The $16 Million Deal That Sparked Accusations
The current uproar began when Paramount paid Donald Trump $16 million to settle a lawsuit related to the editing of a 60 Minutes interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
Days later, Colbert referred to the settlement as a “big, fat bribe” during his monologue and again in a video he posted to Instagram.
In response to Colbert’s remarks—and the show’s cancellation announcement shortly afterward—Senator Elizabeth Warren took to social media, saying:
“CBS canceled Colbert’s show just three days after he criticized parent company Paramount for its $16 million deal with Trump — a deal that feels like a bribe. America deserves to know if his show was canceled for political reasons.”
Suspicion Grows Over Skydance Media’s Influence
The controversy is fueled further by reports that Colbert and fellow political satirist Jon Stewart are now under increased scrutiny from Skydance Media, the company poised to acquire Paramount Global.
Skydance CEO David Ellison has been publicly associated with support for Trump-era policies, and speculation is mounting over whether editorial independence will survive under new corporate leadership.
Both Colbert and Stewart are known for their pointed critiques of Trump and right-wing figures, making them potential targets in a media landscape shifting toward conservative-leaning ownership.
“The Public Deserves Answers”
Colbert shared the cancellation news with his studio audience during a taping and later posted the announcement online.
At the same taping, he had just finished interviewing Senator Adam Schiff, a key figure in Trump’s first impeachment trial.
Schiff, now a California senator and frequent Trump critic, added his voice to the backlash:
“If Paramount and CBS ended The Late Show for political reasons, the public has a right to know. And they deserve better.”
Colbert had also dedicated Wednesday’s monologue to Trump’s efforts to silence discussions around Jeffrey Epstein.
