CBS announced on Thursday that 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' would end in 2026, but the timing, coincidental or not, comes as Paramount tries to sell itself to Skydance.

Even CNN’s Brian Stelter, no fan of Trump, said as much, writing: “The bottom has indeed been falling out of the late-night TV business model for several years now. Audience fragmentation and digital competition have led to a decline in ad revenue across the board. One insider described it as ‘cratering’ at CBS.”

CBS parent Paramount insists that this week's decision to cancel Steven Colbert's “Late Show” was strictly financial, and had nothing to do with politics.

CBS could not figure out a path to profitability in an entertainment world increasingly dominated by streaming.

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.

Stephen Colbert took viewers by surprise this week when he announced The Late Show would be heading for the big TV schedule in the sky. The long-running series, which he has hosted since 2015, will leave screens next May. And not because Colbert is being replaced by a new presenter - the show is ending altogether.

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