Wondering when The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will air its last episode and why CBS decided to cancel it? As Colbert prepares for his final season, network statements, political speculation, and corporate mergers have all fueled questions about the show’s conclusion.
Here’s everything confirmed so far about when The Late Show will end and what led to CBS’s decision.
When will The Late Show with Stephen Colbert end on CBS?
CBS has announced that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will conclude in May 2026.
The network confirmed the show’s end on July 18, 2025, stating that the decision “is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.”
CBS said Colbert is “irreplaceable” and that it will retire The Late Show franchise entirely. “This is purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night,” CBS executives said. Colbert told viewers that he learned of the cancellation the night before and shared, “I’m not being replaced. This is all just going away.”
Colbert took over The Late Show in 2015, succeeding David Letterman, after nearly a decade on The Colbert Report at Comedy Central. In recent episodes, Colbert criticized Paramount’s $16 million settlement with Donald Trump, calling it “a big fat bribe.” The lawsuit involved a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris, which Trump challenged.
CBS’ parent company, Paramount Global, is undergoing an $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media, pending FCC approval. Brendan Carr, an FCC commissioner appointed by Trump, is reportedly investigating the merger. Paramount stated the lawsuit and the merger are unrelated.
Democratic Senator Adam Schiff, who had recently taped a segment for Colbert’s show, posted on X questioning whether political factors influenced the cancellation. “If Paramount and CBS ended The Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know,” Schiff wrote.
CBS also announced it would not continue After Midnight, another late-night program executive produced by Colbert. Despite the cancellation, Nielsen ratings showed Colbert leading his time slot with 2.417 million viewers. His show was also the only late-night program to gain viewers this year.
The show received its sixth Emmy nomination for Outstanding Talk Show this week.
