Overview

• The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will conclude in May 2026 and the franchise will be retired without a successor host.
• Colbert announced on July 17 that he learned of the cancellation the night before and confirmed the show will not return.
• Network executives characterized the move as a purely financial decision driven by escalating production expenses and waning ad sales.
• Paramount Global is pursuing Federal Communications Commission approval for its US$8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media, intensifying cost‐cutting across its operations.
• Senator Adam Schiff urged the company to clarify whether political considerations influenced the termination of Colbert’s show.