President of Paramount Skydance Corporation Jess Shell responds to the cancellation ofThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Acting as host for the last decade, Colbert took overThe Late Showin 2015 from the legendary David Letterman. Particularly in his opening monologue, Colbert would often tackle political topics. Despite being thehighest-rated late-night program,The Late Showwas cancelled in July 2025.
PerDeadline, Shell reveals that the problem with late-night television is that the viewership primarily comes from YouTube. Shell claims that late-night doesn’t economically work any longer in the digital era as YouTube pays “45 cents on the dollar.” Check out his comments below:
“Late-night has a huge problem right now. The problem is that 80% of the viewership and growing is on YouTube. [With YouTube paying] 45 cents on the dollar,” “you’re able to’t make it work economically anymore,”
What This Means For Late-Night TV
In the age of streaming, the TV market is still trying to figure itself out. From consumers moving away from traditional cable to streamers greenlighting countless projects, and endless content on YouTube, it’s a challenge to get eyes on any single project.
Late-night has gone through changes in the past 10 years, with new shows coming and going likeThe Jim Jefferies ShoworFull Frontal with Samantha Bee.YouTube also plays a significant role in the struggle to maintain an audience, as its viewership is higher than any other streamer on the market. It could be that traditionallate-night TV is ending.
All late-night shows upload most of their episodes to YouTube in several clips. That is undeniably a convenient way to consume a late-night show, as most shows are broken down into individual segments. It allows a viewer to pick topics they’re interested in with less of a time commitment than sitting down for a whole show.
Some late-night shows have tried experimenting in different ways.Late Night With Seth Meyersuploads the popular segment “A Closer Look” hours before it airs on TV to YouTube, andConanhad its budget cut multiple times before coming to an end. In the case of both Myers and Conan O’Brien, both have active podcasts, with O’Brien also hosting the travel show,Conan O’Brien Must Go.
Our Take On Shell’s Comments
While there is no denying that every show struggles to find viewership, the timing ofThe Late Show’s cancellation seemed suspicious to some. Following Paramount Global settling a lawsuit withPresident Trump for $16 million, which CBShad previously called “completely without merit,” Colbert called it a bribe on his show.
Colbert referred to it as such, as Paramount Global needed FCC approval for a merger with Skydance. Colbert believed that the settlement only happened to curry favor with the President, in order to move the merger forward. Days after Colbert’s comment,The Late Showwas cancelled.
While Paramount has stated that the talk show is losing $40 a year, there was seemingly no attempt to save the show.The Late Showhas been an institution on television for over thirty years, and cancelling the entire program is a huge surprise. AsThe Late Showwith Stephen Colbert still has a few months left on the air, it will be interesting to see what Colbert does.
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Cast
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is a late-night talk show airing on CBS, hosted by comedian Stephen Colbert. The program features a mix of comedy, interviews, and commentary on current events. Colbert, known for his satirical style, engages with celebrities, politicians, and newsmakers, providing a humorous yet insightful look at the day’s headlines. The show continues the tradition of its predecessors while showcasing Colbert’s unique perspective.
