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After the shock announcement that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will be ending after 10 years<\/a>, fans have been speculating on whether the decision to end the series is really due to financial reasons.<\/p>\n The CBS series will end in May 2026, with the show \u201cjust going away,\u201d as Stephen told a live audience last month. In a joint statement, Paramount Global and CBS said the decision was financial \u201cagainst a challenging backdrop,\u201d adding that it was \u201cnot related in any way to the show\u2019s performance, content or other matters<\/a>\u201d at Paramount.<\/p>\n Breaking the news himself of July 17, Colbert said, “Before we start the show, I want to let you know something I found out just last night. Next year will be our last season. The network will be ending The Late Show in May<\/a>.”<\/p>\n The revelation was met with a mixture of outrage and sadness from viewers, with some noting the suspicious nature of the timeline of events. “Just days after Paramount announces it settles the lawsuit Trump brought against them, they announce they are cancelling Stephen Colbert,” one person wrote on social media.<\/p>\n They added, “Can’t help but think the cancelling of Stephen Colbert’s show was part of the settlement that Paramount agreed to. It’s so obvious.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The announcement came just days after Stephen criticized his parent company for a $16 million settlement with the White House over an interview with then Vice President Kamala Harris on 60 Minutes.<\/p>\n Opening his show that day, Colbert said, \u201cI believe this kind of complicated financial settlement with a sitting government official has a technical name in legal circles. It’s a big, fat bribe.”<\/p>\n Then, days after Paramount confirmed the cancellation, an $8 billion merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media was approved by the U.S Federal Communications Commission.<\/p>\n Government conditions were placed on the news division of the network, with \u201csignificant changes\u201d made to CBS content. It will also involve the rolling back of Paramount\u2019s DEI work.<\/p>\n The deal was branded a \u201cnever before seen form of government control\u201d in a newsroom by FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, who voted against the merger.<\/p>\n DON’T MISS…<\/strong><\/p>\n Stephen Colbert issues blistering attack against RFK Jr after funding cuts<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Donald Trump criticizes Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel amid Stern show worries<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n