CBS to end Stephen Colbert’s late-night show in 2026

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, one of the most popular television late night shows in the US and across the world, has been cancelled.

Colbert announced the news on Thursday night’s taping to his studio audience, telling them he was only informed about it the previous night. “Yeah, I share your feeling,” he responded to the crowd’s booing.

The show will be ended and Colbert will not be replaced. CBS is retiring The Late Show franchise after 33 years.

David Letterman hosted the first 22 seasons and after his retirement, Stephen Colbert took over in 2015.

"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," Reuters quoted CBS executives as saying in a statement.

The show’s cancellation comes at a time when CBS’s parent company, Paramount Global, is attempting to close a merger with Skydance Media after the deal fell apart last year.

"Our admiration, affection and respect for the talents of Stephen Colbert and his incredible team made this agonizing decision even more difficult," said the statement from Paramount Co-CEO and CBS CEO George Cheeks, CBS Entertainment President Amy Reisenbach and CBS Studios President David Stapf, as quoted by Reuters.