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Fact check: Stephen Colbert was let go from The Late Show because of low ratings.
Executive Summary
The claim that “Stephen Colbert was let go from The Late Show because of low ratings” is not supported by the reporting available: multiple recent articles state CBS framed the end of The Late Show as a financial decision despite Colbert’s consistent ratings strength. Reporting from September 2025 and statements from industry figures argue the cancellation stemmed from cost concerns and broader late-night economics rather than declining viewership [1] [2].
1. What supporters of the “low ratings” claim assert — and why that framing spread
Several summaries of the original assertion conflate the end of a long-running program with a ratings-driven firing, a common narrative in television coverage. The simple causal narrative — cancellation equals low ratings — is attractive because it aligns with familiar TV industry patterns and drives clicks, but the contemporaneous reporting does not document falling Nielsen figures as the rationale. Instead, recent pieces record Colbert’s show as a consistent ratings leader at 11:35 p.m., undermining the low-ratings explanation and suggesting the claim is a misinterpretation or oversimplification [2].
2. What CBS and reporters publicly said — a consistent “financial decision” line
CBS and multiple outlets describe the network’s rationale as financially driven, not ratings-based. Coverage around September 2025 quotes the network and industry observers that the decision was “purely a financial” one, and notes the show’s Emmy recognition even after cancellation, which undercuts a performance-based justification. This framing appears in reporting that highlights cost structures and corporate strategy rather than audience metrics as the proximate cause of ending the program [1].
3. Ratings data cited by journalists — Colbert’s relative strength in late night
Contemporary articles emphasize that Stephen Colbert had been a consistent ratings leader among broadcast late-night shows, particularly in the 11:35 p.m. slot, dating back to the show’s 2015 launch and corroborated by contract renewals through 2026 reported earlier. Journalists use that performance history to argue that a ratings collapse is not the evident explanation for the cancellation, creating tension between the public perception of a “let go” and the empirical record of audience performance [3] [2].
4. Financial context and industry voices — late night as a money-losing proposition
Industry figures and corporate veterans framed the decision within a broader economic reality: late-night programming can be costly and, even with solid ratings, may not fit cost-cutting imperatives or corporate strategic shifts. Ex-Paramount Global chair Shari Redstone argued the cancellation was unrelated to mergers and driven by the fact that late-night can be a money-losing proposition, indicating corporate fiscal priorities and portfolio management informed the outcome more than viewership trends [4].
5. Timeline and notable events — cancellation, Emmy, and contract reports
Reporting establishes a clear timeline: coverage in September 2025 announced the show’s planned end in May 2026 while recounting Colbert’s past contract extension and recent Emmy recognition after cancellation was announced. The juxtaposition of an Emmy win and a scheduled end-date is used by reporters to illustrate why arguing “low ratings” as the decisive factor is weak: accolades and previous contract renewals suggest institutional support and audience traction that conflict with a simple performance-based dismissal [1] [2] [3].
6. Possible motives and agendas in coverage — corporate spin and outlet framing
Different actors have incentives to emphasize particular explanations: CBS and corporate executives benefit from framing the move as financial, minimizing talent- or performance-based narratives that could draw scrutiny, while some media outlets may favor the more sensational “fired for ratings” angle to attract readers. Independent interpretation must weigh that CBS’s public statement serves corporate interest, but multiple outlets reporting the same financial explanation and citing ratings strength reduces the plausibility of a contrary claim absent hard ratings evidence [1] [4] [2].
7. Bottom line — how to judge the original statement against the record
The best-supported conclusion is that the original statement is not accurate as stated: reporting from September 2025 portrays Colbert’s departure as rooted in financial and strategic considerations, not low ratings. Multiple sources document both his show’s relative ratings success and explicit corporate claims that the cancellation was a cost-related decision, so attributing the end of The Late Show solely to low viewership misstates the publicly available evidence [2] [1].