In a shocking move, CBS is ending “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” next year, and apparently exiting the late-night television business altogether. The network, citing financial pressures,

Colbert’s cancellation came days after he mocked Paramount, which owns CBS, for its $16 million settlement with Trump in a lawsuit many considered meritless. That settlement comes as Paramount attempts a merger with Skydance Media, which requires FCC approval to proceed.

Colbert confirmed the cancellation during a show taping on Thursday. CBS said the move was "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night."

CBS said it planned to cancel Stephen Colbert's Late Show after next season, citing the weakening finances of late night

Colbert followed “The Daily Show” host Jon Stewart’s attack of the deal one week earlier. Stewart works for Comedy Central, also owned by Paramount, making the two comics the most visible internal critics of the $16 million settlement that was announced on July 1.

Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart slammed Paramount for making a deal with Trump, serving notice they won't be silenced by their parent company.

Related: "Evidence Of Trump’s Stupidity": Trump Was Ruthlessly Mocked After Suffering A Brain Fart While Trying To Insult Biden “None of that is true either,” Colbert said. Kaczynski went to Harvard, not MIT.