"The Late Show" will end next May, marking the end of an era, CBS announced. The show has been a late-night staple since 1993. It was hosted by David Letterman until Stephen Colbert took over in 2015.

New York

"The Late Show" will end its broadcast run next May, according to an announcement from CBS. The program, which has been a fixture of late-night television since 1993, was originally hosted by David Letterman and later by Stephen Colbert from 2015. CBS emphasized that the decision to end the show was not related to its performance, content, or any ongoing matters at parent company Paramount.

Industry analysts note that the conclusion of "The Late Show" highlights significant shifts in audience behavior, with viewers increasingly turning to streaming platforms and short-form video rather than traditional scheduled programming. This trend has impacted advertising and the financial viability of late-night shows, prompting changes across the industry. Entertainers in the late-night format are now exploring new opportunities in digital media, such as podcasts and streaming specials.

What "The Late Show" ending signals for late-night television

It's the end of an era here at CBS. The network says The Late Show will end next May. Now, the show has been a late night staple since 1993. It was hosted by David Letterman until Stephen Colbert took over in 2015. In a statement, CBS said the decision to end The Late Show was, quote, not related in any way to the show's performance, content, or other matters happening at Paramount. The company added that Colbert and the broadcast will be remembered in the pantheon of greats that graced late night television. We want to note that Paramount is the parent company of CBS News. The company has recently settled a $16 million lawsuit with President Trump over the editing of a 60 Minutes piece. Paramount has maintained the suit was completely without merit. The company is also waiting for the FCC to approve a merger with Skydance. For more, let's bring in Brian Steinberg. He's the senior TV editor at Variety. Brian, thanks for joining us here on a Friday. I'm curious what you think this announcement means for late night moving forward. What kind of tone does this set for other late night shows that are still running? Well, there's a general sense that the economics of this day part are not what they once were. These shows were always built for younger people, and those people no longer watch TV at a certain hour at a certain time on a certain day. They find clips, they find short form video, they find whatever they want when they want it. They don't have to wait till late night to watch late night comedy. So that viewer base is eroded. And of course, that viewer base and its changing makeup is very important to advertisers, of course, being part of the financial decision. And so sort of the way that you described it is how I used to think about late night shows, right? It was appointment viewing, but audience habits are changing. What do you think these late shows are now competing against, and how does streaming factor into all this? Well, streaming gives people the ability to watch anything they like at the push of a button. You can watch 10 different late shows on Paramount+, if you wanted to watch the archive. You can go back and look for certain guest stars that are your favorites and just watch those. You don't need to wait till a curated hour-long show at 11 o'clock or 11.30 or midnight anymore. And this is true of Daily Show and Tonight Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live, all the staples of late night. They are facing a different type of viewing audience, and they either need to move the times, or they've all been cutting costs and changing some facets of their production. And it remains to be seen. I think we're in an interesting era when the show, which was a signature part of American culture, may be changing very quickly. I think about my own viewing habits. It's something that I used to watch every single night, and I find myself catching up on my favorite show on Netflix instead and watching clips the next day because I don't have to sit through those commercials. What do you think the future then for entertainers in the mold of Stephen Colbert is going to be now? I mean, how do they fit into this evolving media landscape? You've got podcasts, streaming, comedy specials. I mean, the landscape is changing very rapidly. Luca Conan O'Brien, I think, is a great example in kind of charting this all out. He left NBC, then was on Warner Brothers, TBS for quite a long time, and ended up leaving late night and formed his own kind of podcast company. He's done quite well. He sold it for a large sum to Sirius XM, and he's continued to devise many different podcasts and do some tours. He kind of cultivates talent, finds new comedians, but he's done quite well in kind of charting his own course through digital media. Yeah, the viewership data is there, whether it's podcasts, it's YouTube, the eyeballs are there. Brian Steinberg, thank you so much for your analysis. Thank you.

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Washington

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Damascus

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Kyiv

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London

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Moscow

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Jerusalem

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Tennessee

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Ahmedabad

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Mexico City

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Encino

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Breakdown