The Late Show with Stephen Colbert officially won the war against CBS with its major milestone achievement at the 2025 Emmys. Colbert took over as the host of The Late Show in 2015 after David Letterman retired. Previously, Colbert was known for his work on The Daily Show and his satirical late-night show, The Colbert Report. He will have hosted The Late Show for 11 years.
Tragically, CBS has opted to cancel The Late Show franchise entirely in 2026. The network claimed their decision was financial, but something didn’t add up. The Late Show was the most-watched late-night program on network TV. It seemed unlikely the show wasn’t making money.
Even fellow late-night host Jimmy Kimmel expressed skepticism that The Late Show could be losing $40 million. CBS’ decision comes after Paramount Global settled a multi-million dollar lawsuit with President Donald Trump. Given Colbert’s on-air criticisms of President Trump, rumors swirled that the cancelation was a political decision.
Now, a huge win for The Late Show With Stephen Colbert proves CBS made the wrong decision. CBS may have won the battle by ending the show, but Colbert has won the war. Luckily, another TV programmer could fix their mistake.
Stephen Colbert’s Emmys Win For Outstanding Talk Series Felt Inevitable
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show. This was the second Emmy Award The Late Show won this year. Prior to 2025, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert hadn’t won any Emmys. The win was extremely deserved given how funny, brave, and watched the show is.
Of course, The Late Show‘s win felt inevitable. There were only two other shows in the category, The Daily Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and even Kimmel wanted Colbert to win the coveted statuette. Giving Colbert’s talk show an Emmy Award was a way for the Television Academy to express their disappointment with CBS’ decision.
Earlier in the Emmys ceremony, Colbert got a standing ovation when he came out to present the very first Emmy Award of the night. The crowd laughed hysterically when he asked if anyone was hiring, saying that he had a crew of 200 people who would be looking for jobs in June 2026. Clearly, the Emmy voters love Colbert.
A Streaming Platform Would Look Genius To Give Stephen Colbert A Talk Show
Just because The Late Show is canceled doesn’t mean this is the last we’ll see of Colbert. A streaming service like Netflix could give Colbert a new show, fixing CBS’ clear mistake.
Colbert didn’t get his start on The Late Show, and his career definitely won’t end there. Given how successful The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has clearly been, another network can get instant viewership by giving Colbert a new show. CBS made its decision, but Colbert got the last laugh at the Emmy Awards.
Source: The Late Show With Stephen Colbert/Instagram
