What is the future of late-night talk shows after the ‘Late Show' cancellation?
On Thursday, Colbert shocked his studio audience, social media and Hollywood with the news that the long-running late night talk show will end in May . Colbert, who has hosted 'The Late Show' since taking over from David Letterman 10 years ago, will not be replaced. The franchise that has long led its direct broadcast competition will be no more. Colbert remains the biggest draw in his time slot, averaging 1.9 million viewers, according to Nielsen, but he commands the largest slice of a shrinking pie. As my colleague Stephen Battaglio reported, 'The Late Show' is said to be losing tens of millions of dollars a year as younger viewers flee. Since 2022, the show has lost 20% of its audience in the advertiser-coveted 18-to-49 age group, according to Nielsen.Ad revenue for 'The Late Show' in 2024 was $57.7 million, according to iSpot.tv, down from $75.7 million in 2022. NBC's 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon' and ABC's 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' have also slipped. As a result, late night shows have been slashing costs. NBC cut Fallon's show to four nights a week last year, while 'Late Night With Seth Meyers' eliminated its live band. Two years ago, CBS canceled 'The Late Late Show' hosted by James Corden.
One problem: Late night shows no longer serve the role they once did — especially for generations that grew up with social media and don't subscribe to TV packages. Waiting until 11:30 p.m. to hear the hot takes on the day's news is antiquated when political satire and commentary are now freely available and on demand through podcasts, TikTok, YouTube and X.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Piers Morgan Says Late-Night Hosts Are 'Hyper-Partisan Activist Hacks For The Democrats' & It's 'No Wonder' Stephen Colbert 'Got Canned'
While Stephen Colbert has received plenty of support from fellow television mainstays and late-night hosts following the unceremonious cancellation of The Late Show, Piers Morgan isn't among them. Earlier today, the British media personality took to X to slam Colbert and other longtime late-night hosts, alleging these figures were nothing more than puppets for the Democratic Party. More from Deadline Donald Trump Repeats False Claim Beyoncé Was Paid $11 Million To Endorse Kamala Harris; Calls To Prosecute Singer, Oprah & Al Sharpton Jay Leno Questions Why Late-Night Hosts "Alienate" Half Their Audience: "Get To The Joke" Stephen Colbert Praises 'South Park's Naked AI Trump PSA: "An Important Message Of Hope" 'This is so damning,' Morgan wrote alongside a cover of New York Post that outlined the political leanings of Colbert's guests, which skewed toward the left. 'Most of America's biggest late-night hosts have become nothing more than hyper-partisan activist hacks for the Democrats — a party that's rarely been more unpopular. No wonder Colbert got canned. More will follow.' Morgan, who has alternately supported and critiqued president Donald Trump and does not consider himself right-wing, continued his commentary in several other tweets, beginning with an endorsement of Jay Leno's recent comments questioning why late-night hosts would 'alienate' half their audience by 'cozying too much to one side or the other.' The host of YouTube's Piers Morgan Uncensored continued in another tweet, this time aimed at fellow U.K.-hailing peer John Oliver: 'UPDATE: Just watched a drooling @60Minutes segment tonight about John Oliver who was proud of telling his viewers not to vote for Trump at last election. He told them to vote for Kamala Harris instead. That's not comedy, it's partisan political activism.' And, when responding to a tweet by political commentator and MSNBC contributor Brian Tyler Cohen, Morgan stated, 'Trump didn't cancel Colbert… he cancelled himself with poor ratings, huge costs, and boring viewers with anti-Trump bias.' Just a couple days after Stephen Colbert ripped into parent company Paramount's $16 million settlement with president Donald Trump on the air — a move he likened to a 'big fat bribe' aimed to grease the Federal Trade Commission's approval of a year-long pending merger between Paramount Global and David Ellison's Skydance Media — he revealed to audiences that CBS would be axing The Late Show, the franchise first begun by host David Letterman in 1993. Executives defended the cancellation, calling it 'purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night' that 'is not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.' Since Colbert made the shocking revelation public July 17, Trump has vocally celebrated the show's retiring, as a majority of the show's writers represented by the Writers Guild of America have called on New York State Attorney General Letitia James to launch an investigation into 'potential wrongdoing' at Paramount. This comes as a number of Senate Democrats, like Adam Schiff and Elizabeth Warren, made statements defending constituents' right to know if the series was canceled due to political reasons. In additional fallout, protesters gathered outside the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City where Colbert tapes to push back against the decision. As for Colbert himself, he has made it clear that he will not go gentle into that good night, telling Trump to 'go f— himself.' He added in the July 21 episode of his show, 'But [CBS] made one mistake. They left me alive. Now for the next 10 months, the gloves are off. I can finally speak unvarnished truth to power and say what I really think about Donald Trump. I don't care for him. Doesn't have the skillset to be president.' Best of Deadline 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery Everything We Know About Season 3 Of 'Euphoria' So Far
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Piers Morgan: ‘No Wonder' Stephen Colbert Got Canceled When Most Late Night Hosts Are ‘Activist Hacks for the Democrats'
Piers Morgan is weighing in on the cancellation of 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.' On Sunday morning, the TV personality took to X to say that most late-night hosts have become nothing more than 'hyper-partisan activist hacks' for the Left and that it's really 'no wonder' why Stephen Colbert got the boot. He also shared a New York Post cover that read, 'No wonder he was canned, 'The Left Show With Stephen Colbert.'' More from Variety David Letterman Blasts CBS and Skydance on 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' Cancellation: 'This Is Pure Cowardice' Stephen Colbert Hails 'South Park' Premiere's Naked Trump as 'Important Message of Hope for Our Times' LISTEN: 'Saiyaara' Shines Bright for Bollywood; 'Superman' Hangs Tough in Week 2; Stephen Colbert Fallout 'This is so damning,' Morgan wrote. 'Most of America's biggest late-night hosts have become nothing more than hyper-partisan activist hacks for the Democrats – a party that's rarely been more unpopular. No wonder Colbert got canned. More will follow.' Morgan is not the only television authority to speak out on Colbert's cancellation. Also on Sunday, former 'Tonight Show' host Jay Leno said late-night frontmen too often alienate part of their audience by 'cozying up' to one political party. 'I love political humor, don't get me wrong. But it's just what happens when people wind up cozying too much to one side or the other.' Leno said in an interview with David Trulio, president and CEO of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute. 'Why shoot for just half an audience all the time? You know, why not try to get the whole. I mean, I like to bring people into the big picture.' It was announced on July 17 that the entire 'Late Show,' not just Colbert's iteration, would come to a close after the next TV season. CBS cited the move as a 'financial decision,' but some have wondered if it was to appease Donald Trump's FCC amid a pending merger between CBS' parent company, Paramount, and Skydance. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? Final Emmy Predictions: Talk Series and Scripted Variety - New Blood Looks to Tackle Late Night Staples Solve the daily Crossword
NBC Sports
10 hours ago
- NBC Sports
PFT Live returns for another season on Monday
We're back. baby. On Monday, the six-week hiatus is over. PFT Live returns. Yeah, I did 28 episodes of #PFTPM during the 'break.' But that was solo. Chris Simms returns for the full, two-hour adventure. We'll be in our usual habitats on Monday and Tuesday. For Wednesday and Thursday, we'll be in Canton, in advance of NBC's coverage of the Hall of Fame game. PFT Live has been around, in one form or another, since January 2011. The two-hour, Simms-as-the-primary-co-host version enters its ninth season. Our primary locations are Peacock (live and on-demand) and SiriusXM 85. Also, the show will be televised on SkySports Mix on Monday at 6:00 p.m. UK/Ireland time. (I'm not sue how long that will last. I am sure I'll be asked that question many times in the coming days and weeks via email.) Beyond the primary channels for consuming the show, every episode is available as a podcast, and select clips land on YouTube and/or as videos tied to PFT posts. Thanks for reading the content here. Thanks for taking in the #PFTPM non-vacation vacation content. And thanks for checking us out as we return with PFT Live on Monday morning.
