CBS has cancelled its successful late-night talk show, The Late Show, after 10 years on the air. The network announced that this season’s final episodes will air through May 2026 and that the franchise will be retired. Stephen Colbert, the show’s creator and host, was not considered irreplaceable by CBS, according to industry observers. The cancellation comes as a surprise, but it may be related to financial struggles due to changing TV viewing habits.
With the rise of streaming services, people are no longer flocking to linear television in the evenings. Instead, they’re turning on their TVs to catch new shows or check out online content, such as celebrity interviews and musical performances that usually air on The Late Show. These events now have multiple platforms to reach audiences, reducing the need for expensive TV productions like The Late Show.
Source: https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2025/07/late-show-stephen-colbert-canceled-cbs/683602