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.

After more than three decades on air, CBS announced on Thursday that its famed "Late Show" franchise is coming to a close. "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" will officially come to an end in May 2026, according to the network, which said the decision to end the show was a financial one.

“Given Paramount’s recent capitulation to President Trump in the CBS News lawsuit, the Writers Guild of America has significant concerns that The Late Show’s cancelation is a bribe, sacrificing free speech to curry favor with the Trump Administration as the company looks for merger approval,” it noted (see full statement below).

Liberal celebrities and politicians mourned the cancellation of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" as CBS claims the decision is purely financial and unrelated to the show's content.

CBS is ending a long-running late night show, citing the “challenging backdrop” in television. “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” will end on May 26, the network announced.

Prominent political figures as well as Hollywood stars have reacted with disgust over the news that 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' will end its run in 2026.