CBS Is Canceling ‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ in 2026

Stephen Colbert told his audience at a July 17 taping that CBS is ending his show next year, despite receiving the highest ratings for its time slot. The cancellation “is purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night,” Paramount and CBS executives said in a statement. “It is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.” CBS announced the cancellation on July 17 in a press release that featured a clip of Colbert’s update on Instagram. During the show taping, Colbert began telling the audience that he was going to mention something he had heard the previous night....