CBS has announced it will end The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in May 2026, concluding a decade-long run. Colbert broke the news to his audience during a taping on July 17, 2025, revealing that the network would not continue the franchise with a new host. Colbert expressed deep gratitude to CBS and his 200-member team, saying, “We get to do this show for each other every day, all day.”
Despite strong ratings—the show led late-night programming for nine straight seasons—CBS cited financial challenges as the reason behind the decision, not performance or content. Premiering in 2015 after David Letterman’s retirement, Colbert brought a politically sharp tone to late-night television, moving away from his satirical Colbert Report persona.