the staff of the Ridgewood blog
New York NY, The late-night talk show — once a cultural institution dominated by legendary hosts like Johnny Carson, David Letterman, and Jay Leno — is facing an existential crisis. The latest casualty? The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
CBS announced it will end the show after the next TV season, marking a major turning point in the slow demise of late-night television.
Despite leading the highly competitive 11:35 PM slot for nearly a decade, The Late Show has lost over one-third of its TV audience since 2018. Paramount-owned CBS cited a “financial decision” for pulling the plug — a telling sign of how much the economics of late-night TV have shifted.
Why Late-Night Talk Shows Are Dying
1. Streaming & Social Media Are Winning the Battle for Attention
Gone are the days when millions of Americans tuned in religiously before bedtime. Now, TikTok, YouTube, Netflix, and Instagram dominate where viewers spend their time.
Even though late-night clips still circulate online, social media has replaced the appointment-viewing model that once made late-night hosts cultural gatekeepers.
2. Plunging Ad Revenue
According to Reuters, The Late Show has seen ad revenue drop 42% since 2018, costing CBS roughly $40 million annually. Advertisers are following audiences to digital platforms with more precise targeting and lower costs.
3. High Production Costs
Late-night talk shows are expensive, thanks to celebrity talent, large writing staffs, and live production crews. In a streaming-first world, where Netflix is prioritizing live sports and premium series over talk shows, the traditional late-night model no longer makes sense financially.
A Format Losing Its Relevance
Once upon a time, Carson’s Tonight Show or Letterman’s Late Show was where politicians, actors, and cultural icons went to connect with the public. Today, those same guests debut their big interviews on podcasts, viral Instagram videos, or YouTube shows with niche audiences.
Even though Colbert remained the ratings leader among the “Big 3” late-night shows, the audience simply isn’t large enough to sustain the massive production cost.
What’s Next for Late Night?
Colbert’s cancellation may be just the beginning. Industry insiders believe other networks will follow suit, reshaping what “late night” even means.
Rather than multi-million-dollar live productions, we’re likely to see:
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More streaming-friendly, low-cost formats
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Podcast-style interviews instead of live shows
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Shorter, viral-friendly segments designed for TikTok and YouTube
In other words, late-night TV isn’t disappearing entirely — but the traditional broadcast talk show model is on life support.
The Takeaway:
The cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert signals the end of an era. As streaming services invest in sports, true crime, and binge-worthy dramas, the late-night talk show — once the king of American pop culture — is being pushed off the stage.
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That’s because the show sucks, I can’t believe it lasted that long. Jay Leno Johny Corson, Letterman, was so much better than these knuckleheads.
leno and carson were great
letterman sucked
It’s due to their leftist propaganda.
Pfffffft….
There’s a swift kick in their liberal asses
What goes around comes around
As Greg Gutfeld continues to grow a late-night audience with HUMOR and politics. This is a big contributor to ABC, NBC, and CBS’s decline. Why not mention that?
Lefties blaming some kind of Trump revenge on cancelling Colbert is total nonsense. The show was bleeding cash. Ratings were in the toilet.
The fact that it was just not funny is just a factor in its demise.
Gutfeld is the one to watch!. He’s funny, and doesn’t spew bs propaganda . It’s no wonder why his ratings are so high. Leftists, just go away!