CBS may have canceledThe Late Show With Stephen Colbertand ended the entire franchise, but two streaming services could save Colbert’s role on TV. CBS garnered a lot of controversy when it was announced thattheLate Showfranchise is ending in 2026. The network claimed the decision was financial, but some suspect a more nefarious reason.
The Late Show With Stephen Colbertwas canceled shortly after CBS' parent company announced a merger with Skydance andsettled a lawsuit with President Donald Trump for $16 million. Fans and other late-night hosts have publicly speculated that Colbert’s cancellation is related to the merger and lawsuit. After all,Trump celebratedThe Late Showending on Truth Social.
Regardless of the reason, Colbert will be out of a job come May 2026. Luckily, he already has one gig lined up.Colbert will be a guest star onElsbeth, wherehe’ll play a fictional late-night host named Scotty Bristol. Clearly, audiences still want to see Colbert as a late-night host.
While CBS may not want the long-running late-night show any longer,Colbert deserves to remain a late-night host. Whileany network could consider giving Colbert a new show, there are two that stand out from the rest. They could saveThe Late Showand give audiences what they want.
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Is The Most Watched Late-Night Show
Paramount’s co-CEO, George Cheeks, recently reiterated thatThe Late Show’s cancellation was a financial choice. However, this statement is bewildering.The Late Show With Stephen Colbertgot the most viewsin the 11:35pm time slot in the second quarter of 2025, according toLateNighter.
Plus,The Late Showwas the only one of nine shows LateNighter tracked that got more viewers in the second quarter of the year than in the first quarter. Not only does Colbert draw a sizable audience, but he’s also getting more popular as time goes on. This makesCBS' controversial decision even more confusing.
Other networks should take note. Colbert has been a staple of late-night TV for years, andaudiences want more. Even if theLate Showfranchise is gone forever, Colbert could develop a new late-night format for another platform.
Netflix & HBO Have Experimented With Late-Night Shows
The Late Showneeds a new home, and either Netflix or HBO Max would be the perfect fit. In a monologue bit aired on June 03, 2025,Colbert joked that he’d like to work for Netflixwhen his contract with CBS is up. This isn’t out of the realm of possibility.
Netflix has dabbled in the talk show space before. In 2018, the streaming giant aired ten episodes ofThe Break With Michelle Wolf.The series was a late-night show designed for a streaming audience. Episodes were filmed well in advance, rather than one day or a few hours ahead of airing like most late-night shows.The show even featured satirical commercials.
Netflix has also given a show to the original host of theLate Showfranchise, David Letterman.My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Lettermanhas been hugely successful on Netflix during its first five seasons. The series has been nominated for four Emmy Awards and was renewed for seasons 6 and 7.
Now that Netflix has moved into the live space, there’s even more of a chance for Colbert to develop a new streaming service with them.Everybody’s Live With John Mulaneywas given two seasons before it even aired and was critically acclaimed.The talk show genre may do better on streaming servicestoday than on traditional network TV.
Netflix isn’t the only TV company that should consider picking upThe Late Showand Colbert. HBO’sLast Week Tonight With John Oliverhas been wildly successful, having won 30 Emmy Awards.Last Week Tonighthas the distinct advantage of airing both on HBO and HBO Max simultaneously. Allowing viewers to watch on a streaming platform means more people have access to the show.
HBO and HBO Max should consider expanding their late-night slate with a Colbert-led series.John Oliver said he lovesThe Late Show, so putting Colbert and him on the same network could lead to some hilarious crossovers.Last Week Tonightonly airs one day a week, leaving plenty of open spots for Colbert to sneak in there.
Stephen Colbert Has Been A Staple Of Late Night For Years
Colbert has been delivering the news and making audiences laugh for decades. He was known for his work onThe Daily Showbefore creating the utterly uniqueColbert Report, where Colbert satirized conservative political talk shows. All in all,Colbert has been a late-night fixture since 1997.
CBS endingThe Late Show With Stephen Colberthas triggered questions aboutthe future of other late-night shows. ConsideringThe Late Showgets more views thanLate Night With Seth Meyers, The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon,andJimmy Kimmel Live, it’s possible those shows will face similar fates.
CBS may have made the wrong choice in cancelingThe Late Show With Stephen Colbert, but Netflix, HBO, or any other network or streaming service can remedy the situation. Colbert deserves to remain on TV, and we need his humor now more than ever.
