Stephen Colbert has revealed that “The Late Show” will go down on Thursday, May 21, bringing an end to the CBS series that has defined late-night television for more than 30 years.
The host made the announcement during a Monday taping of NBC’s “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” scheduled to air on Tuesday, Jan. 27, confirming the show’s first farewell date since CBS announced its cancellation last July.
“The Late Show,” which began in 1993 when David Letterman left NBC for CBS, will end after the 2025-26 broadcast season. Mr. Letterman’s 22-year tenure built the program into a cultural institution until Mr. Colbert became executive director in 2015.
CBS characterized the cancellation as a “purely economic decision in the difficult circumstances of late night,” and stressed that it had nothing to do with the show’s content or the pending merger between the network’s parent companies, Paramount and Skydance. The announcement comes days after Colbert criticized Paramount Global’s $16 million settlement with President Donald Trump as a “huge bribe.”
When Colbert spoke to a studio audience about the cancellation last summer, he emphasized that CBS’ choice was final. “This isn’t just the end of our show, it’s the end of ‘The Late Show’ on CBS,” he said. “I will not be replaced. Everything will just pass.”
CBS’ decision reflects the financial crisis streaming services face late night as they siphon viewers from traditional broadcasts. Younger viewers are now watching clips online instead of tuning in at 11:35 p.m., reducing the advertising revenue that once made these shows profitable.
Colbert has continued to make sharp political statements since learning of the cancellation. The show won the Emmy Award for Best Talk Series in September, and Colbert will receive the Writers Guild of America East’s Walter Bernstein Award next month.
