The network has called the cancellation “a purely financial decision”—but it feels like only the beginning of the end for an entire genre.

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,

CBS is axing “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” in May 2026, the host told an audience at a taping Thursday. The announcement came three days after Colbert spoke out against Paramount Global, parent company of CBS,