Prominent political figures as well as Hollywood stars have reacted with disgust over the news that 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' will end its run in 2026.

“CBS canceled Colbert’s show just THREE DAYS after Colbert called out CBS parent company Paramount for its $16M settlement with Trump – a deal that looks like bribery,” Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote on X. “America deserves to know if his show was canceled for political reasons.”

CBS’ decision to cut ties with Stephen Colbert and its decades-old “Late Show” franchise come next May will leave a major hole in the format — but one that has been widening. TV networks have been cutting costs at their late-night mainstays for the past few years.

It's difficult not to see how an ownership change impacted 'The Late Show' franchise, but the move also reveals stubborn truths about the cost of the programming vs. cheaper and infinite YouTube rivals.

With the hosts Merv Griffin, Pat Sajak, David Letterman and Stephen Colbert, CBS has taken many runs at late-night TV. Some were more successful than others.

Great ratings and brand recognition weren’t enough to save the long-running franchise.

'Tracker' Shocker! Hit CBS Series Loses Half Its Main Cast Ahead of Season 3 first appeared on Parade on Jul 19, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 19, 2025, where it first appeared.

Colbert notably clowned Paramount and described the settlement as a “big fat bribe” on Monday’s show, jokes that sparked speculation that the program’s cancellation was politically motivated and led the show’s union to call for an investigation into CBS’ decision.