CBS will end "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" and retire "The Late Show" franchise in May 2026, the company announced Thursday, calling it "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night.

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.

CBS has claimed that the cancellation of Trump-bashing show was a ‘financial decision’ despite timing of merger

Before Stephen Colbert's "Late Show" was canceled, Jon Stewart hadn't "heard anything" about whether his Comedy Central show would be canceled.

Opinion: CBS just proved that when it comes to a "decision," cancelling Colbert was a no-brainer compared to appeasing the dictator Trump, writes .

S tephen Colbert, the CBS late-night talk show host, was unequivocal in his assessment of Paramount Global’s $16 million settlement with President Donald Trump. “I believe this kind of complicated financial settlement with a sitting government official has a technical name in legal circles,” he said. “It’s a big fat bribe.”

CBS just dropped a bombshell that left even seasoned media watchers slack‑jawed: The Late Show is ending. Not a host

O'Donnell, a recent target of the president's threats, sounded the alarm on the network's stunning "Late Show" decision.