The Late Present With Stephen Colbert is coming to an finish. The beloved speak present host introduced the information throughout tonight’s taping, revealing that CBS is eliminating your complete late-night franchise as a result of a “monetary choice.” The finale will arrive in Could 2026.
The Late Present started with David Letterman in 1993, with Colbert taking on in 2015. “I’m not being changed, that is all simply going away,” Colbert mentioned throughout tonight’s episode. CBS executives shared an announcement:
We think about Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and can retire The Late Present franchise in Could of 2026. We’re proud that Stephen known as CBS dwelling. He and the printed can be remembered within the pantheon of greats that graced late evening tv. That is purely a monetary choice in opposition to a difficult backdrop in late evening. It isn’t associated in any option to the present’s efficiency, content material or different issues taking place at Paramount.
There was hypothesis about Colbert presumably dealing with scrutiny from executives at Skydance Media — which is within the means of buying Paramount International, the mum or dad of CBS — as a result of its CEO David Ellison seemingly being buddy-buddy with Donald Trump, who Colbert is thought to ceaselessly criticize.
This clearly sucks for musicians. Earlier this yr Wednesday, Scowl, and Mannequin/Actriz made their TV debuts on Colbert! Unhappy instances.
Right here’s Colbert on July 14 making enjoyable of Paramount for paying Trump $16 million. It’s laborious to not see CBS canceling his present by this lens.
“I consider this type of difficult monetary settlement with a sitting authorities official has a technical title in authorized circles. It’s huge fats bribe.”
— Matt Novak (@paleofuture.bsky.social) July 17, 2025 at 7:39 PM
