Fans of late-night television and the industry alike were left stunned by the news that CBS would be canceling The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in May 2026, citing financial reasons. Theories have been running rampant on social media as to the REAL decision this was made, but one thing is clear, and it’s that Colbert has the support of at least one of his fellow late-night counterparts, Jimmy Kimmel.
Kimmel took to his Instagram (via Variety) to blast CBS’s decision to cancel the popular late-night show. The fellow late-night host used a clip of Colbert’s announcement on his story and wrote the caption, “Love you Stephen. F*ck you and all your Sheldons CBS.” Kimmel has never been one to mince words, and, given Colbert’s goodwill in the industry, it comes as no surprise that he would have his back in this situation.
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Colbert made the announcement on his show that it would be ending in 2026, and CBS soon verified the cancellation and justified its reason for doing so. The network said that the decision was “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night.” This points to linear ratings being an issue, which have declined in the late-night landscape as viewing habits have changed across the board for many viewers. There is also the emergence and prominence of digital media, which has become a popular source of similar material for the audience that late-night shows cater to. That being said, Colbert’s show has remained relevant within pop culture and has maintained a high level of pedigree in terms of its material. CBS even referenced this by saying their decision “is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.”
CBS Canceling ‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ Might Be Political
The decision by CBS to cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert immediately became suspect by many on social media and other commentators because of the high-profile battle they have found themselves in with President Donald Trump. Two weeks ago, Paramount settled with Trump and paid out $16 million to our current President to resolve a lawsuit where Trump accused CBS’s 60 Minutes of editing an interview with Kamala Harris, who was a presidential candidate at the time.
Trump believed they deceptively edited the interview to work in her favor, but at the time the lawsuit went public, Paramount said that Trump’s claims were “meritless,” although they ultimately settled with him in the end. Some believe that they caved and are now censoring themselves to please Trump and avoid a further legal battle. With the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, a late-night space that has been critical of Trump, some believe this is yet another move to kiss the ring. Colbert also openly criticized CBS for settling with Trump for $16 million just three days before the cancellation announcement was made.
Source: Variety
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
