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.

A new report from Puck's Matt Belloni is shedding light on the finances that led to CBS' bombshell cancellation of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert."

"The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," a staple of late-night US television, will end in 2026, the CBS network said, days after the comedian blasted parent company Paramount's $16 million settlement with President Donald Trump as "a big fat bribe.

CBS could not figure out a path to profitability in an entertainment world increasingly dominated by streaming.

Skydance CEO David Ellison and his lawyer met with Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr and an FCC lawyer on Tuesday, a new regulatory filing shows. Why it matters: The meeting came two days before CBS abruptly announced that it is canceling "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" after the next season in May 2026,

The Writers Guild of America wants Paramount investigated for bribery after news of “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” being canceled. Variety reports said it has “significant concerns” that the move may have been a way to bribe president Donald Trump into sanctioning Paramount’s pending acquisition by Skydance.

Ten years on, CBS has snatched the crown off its head. The network appears to have grown so dismayed with the state of late-night television that it has unceremoniously canceled one of the genre’s most successful stalwarts: In a statement last night,

“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).