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Variety raised a blunt question this week as Stephen Colbert prepared to sign off from The Late Show: did Colbert’s hard turn into political commentary hurt the late‑night format? That question landed on the eve of Colbert’s final broadcast and forced a choice no network likes — admit the money problem or admit the politics problem. The trade piece by Brian Steinberg became the immediate news hook, and it deserves a straight answer.
Variety’s Take: Politics Changed Late Night
Brian Steinberg wrote that Colbert reshaped late night into something that plays to a narrower audience. He notes the odd mix of results: strong cultural influence and solid ad numbers, yet an ending announced as a “financial” decision by CBS. Variety even pointed to ad‑spend data showing The Late Show accounted for roughly 27% of late‑night ad spending in 2025 and about 29% so far in 2026. In short: ratings and ad dollars did not tell a simple story.
The Corporate Context: Money, Lawsuits and Caution
CBS and parent Paramount framed the cancellation as a cost decision. That’s true on paper — late night is expensive — but it’s not the whole picture. Commentators are tying the timing to deeper corporate caution after Paramount agreed to pay $16 million to settle President Donald Trump’s lawsuit over a “60 Minutes” interview. New leadership under chairman and CEO David Ellison and the decision to hand the timeslot to programming overseen by Byron Allen suggest executives are reshaping late night to avoid risk — reputational and legal as well as financial.
Politics Was a Factor — Let’s Call It What It Is
Colbert’s choice to make his show a political platform was a strategy, and a risky one. For years he piled on anti‑Trump coverage and turned interview time into political commentary. That worked for a while; it won eyeballs and buzz. But it also narrowed who would tune in. When a network faces hard choices, executives will pick low‑cost, lower‑controversy routes over headline‑grabbing hosts who make corporate boards nervous. If a $16 million settlement makes them flinch, a host who doubles as a partisan amplifier becomes less of an asset and more of a liability.
Where Late Night Goes From Here
Whether you liked Colbert or not, his departure is a warning to entertainers who confuse celebrity with civic leadership. Late night used to be a place for jokes that nudged everyone. Now it’s clear that networks will favor formats that don’t threaten ad dollars or corporate risk. Variety did the country a favor by asking the question out loud. The real test going forward will be whether late night returns to being funny for a broad crowd — or becomes a series of safe, sterile fillers scheduled to keep suits comfortable. Either way, audiences will vote with the remote.
