Jimmy Fallon 'jokes' about future of his ailing show after rival Steven Colbert was axed by CBS
'I am your host,' Fallon said to introduce Monday night's Tonight Show. 'Well, at least for tonight.'
The former SNL star then grew serious, speaking on the state of late night and the political climate some have said played a part in CBS's decision to do away with Colbert's show.
'I don't like it. I don't like what's going on one bit. These are crazy times,' Fallon said, referencing how 'everybody [was] talking about' the decision.
'And many people are now threatening to boycott the network', he said, setting up another punchline.
'Yeah - CBS could lose millions of viewers, plus tens of hundreds watching on Paramount+.'
The NBC star then praised Colbert's contributions to the genre, while taking the time to pan Donald Trump for his appearance at the FIFA Club World Cup in New Jersey alongside the winning team Chelsea FC.
'Stephen has done years of incredibly smart and hilarious television, and he's won 10 Emmys,' Fallon said. 'Trump heard and was like, "Big deal, last week I just won a FIFA World Cup trophy."
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'I'm just as shocked as everyone,' the comic who succeeded short-lived host Conan O'Brien in 2014 continued.
'Stephen is one of the sharpest, funniest hosts to ever do it. I really thought I'd ride this out with him for years to come.'
Separately, the host brought up how Trump over the weekend posted on social media to celebrate his first six months in office.
'Most Americans heard and were like, "How has it only been six months?"' Fallon quipped. 'Oh, my gosh! It feels like it's been ten years!'
Hours later, Trump would take to Truth Social again - this time to target Fallon and fellow late night star Jimmy Kimmel.
He also appeared to take credit for Colbert's ouster, after insiders insisted to publications like Puck and Variety that the reason was purely financial.
'The word is, and it's a strong word at that, Jimmy Kimmel is NEXT to go in the untalented Late Night Sweepstakes and, shortly thereafter, Fallon will be gone,' Trump said.
'These are people with absolutely NO TALENT, who were paid Millions of Dollars for, in all cases, destroying what used to be GREAT Television,' he continued.
'It's really good to see them go, and I hope I played a major part in it!'
Shortly thereafter, he typed out another message that took CBS and the rest of the legacy media landscape to task, announcing he had reached a settlement with both CBS and its parent Paramount - days after the agreement was actually reached.
'We have just achieved a BIG AND IMPORTANT WIN in our Historic Lawsuit against 60 Minutes, CBS, and Paramount,' Trump wrote.
'Just like ABC and George Slopadopoulos, CBS and its Corporate Owners knew that they defrauded the American People, and were desperate to settle.'
'This is another in a long line of VICTORIES over the Fake News Media, who we are holding to account for their widespread fraud and deceit,' Trump wrote.
'The Wall Street Journal, The Failing New York Times, The Washington Post, MSDNC, CNN, and all other Mainstream Media Liars, are ON NOTICE that the days of them being allowed to deceive the American People are OVER.'
Trump and CBS reached the $16 million settlement in a suit filed by Trump earlier this month - a sum only slightly more than the $15 million Colbert is said to earn annually.
In a piece for Puck, media maven Matthew Belloni outlined how The Late Show - which costs $100million a year to produce - has seen its advertiser revenue slump drastically even in the last three years, making it harder to pull Colbert's show out of the red.
Late night shows in general have slumped in profitability as viewers shun the format in favor of streaming services or other means of media.
Colbert was reported to be 'not angry, actually' about news of his cancelation, Puck reported - revealing how the host was chatting with his staff in a 'matter-of-fact' way before Thursday's show, shortly after finding out himself.
Moreover, Paramount co-C.E.O. George Cheeks was reportedly the one to pull the trigger on the cancellation - not Skydance CEO David Ellison or the former NBCU exec to serve as the new company's CEO once the merger is finished, Jeff Shell.
Colbert complained on the air about CBS's settlement with Trump, just days before receiving word of his cancellation.
Trump, meanwhile, celebrated the news of the show's cancellation last week as it spread, furthering the idea he played a part.
'I absolutely love that Colbert' got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings," he wrote in a Friday Truth Social post.
'I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert.'
CBS execs weighed the pros and cons of canceling the increasingly unprofitable show during its hosts usual summer vacation this month, sources told CNN Friday. They said the move was financially driven even while speaking anonymously, insiders told Puck and Variety
Colbert holds the top spot in his hour, with an average of 2.417 million across 41 first-run episodes.
Colbert took over as host in September 2015, after Letterman launched the program in 1993.
Second-best Jimmy Kimmel Live! takes in an average of 1.772 million viewers, for reference.
Fallon averaged 1.188 million viewers for the trio's hour, bringing up the rear. Fallon and Kimmel - whose show airs on ABC - have yet to be cancelled.
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