Stephen Colbert's Late Show was cancelled by CBS for "financial" reasons, but the timing after his criticism of the network has sparked political speculation.

Stephen Colbert announced in July that CBS will be canceling “The Late Show” in May 2026, more than 10 years after he took over as host.

CBS announced last month that it would not just be ending Colbert's run on the network but retiring the venerable Late Show franchise as a whole after the 2025-26 broadcast season, calling the divisive decision a "purely financial" one "against a challenging backdrop in late night."