CBS Cancels The Late Show, Yet Late Night Faces Aging Struggles
Late-Night Television Faces a Decline in Viewership
Late-night television, once a staple of American culture, is experiencing a significant decline in viewership, particularly among younger audiences. This shift is due to a combination of cultural changes, economic pressures, and the rise of streaming platforms.
The era of major television networks hosting a guy in a suit for an eight-minute monologue at 11:30 is seemingly over. Shows like The Late Show with Stephen Colbert have lost about 20% of their audience in the key 18–49 age demographic since 2022. Ad revenues for late-night programs have dropped significantly, with CBS’s Late Show ad revenue falling from $75.7 million in 2022 to $57.7 million in 2024. NBC’s Tonight Show and ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! have similarly experienced viewership declines.
One of the primary reasons for this decline is the shift in demographic preferences. Late-night TV used to be especially popular with young men, but many of these viewers are migrating to streaming platforms like YouTube and Netflix, which provide easier access to content on demand and allow viewers to watch highlights or segments at their convenience.
Economic pressures on networks also play a significant role. CBS canceled its 12:35 a.m. Late Late Show hosted by James Corden due to financial losses and replaced it with lower-cost syndicated programming. Paramount Global, the owner of CBS, is facing questions for not investing in reducing production costs rather than canceling earlier shows.
The competitive landscape is another factor. While traditional late-night shows on major networks are suffering declines, Fox News’ Gutfeld! has surged to the top in total viewers (3.1 million, ahead of Colbert’s 1.9 million) and demo viewers, including younger viewers, where it also leads. This points to changing viewer preferences and possibly content appeal differences.
The rise of streaming services is another significant factor. Nielsen data showed for the first time in recent months that more people consumed programming via streaming services than traditional broadcast networks like ABC, CBS, or NBC. This shift significantly undercuts the traditional live late-night TV audience, especially among younger viewers who favor streaming.
In response to these changes, CBS announced that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will end in May 2026. The move is described by CBS as a financial decision. However, the outrage over the end of the show is worth examination. Colbert can still make waves by tweaking his soon-to-be-former bosses, and his show used to offer a platform for musical acts and pre-planned stories from stars.
The decline of late-night television is both a cultural shift and a financial imperative pushing networks to rethink or cancel traditional late-night programming. Young people are spending time on platforms like TikTok and Twitch instead of watching late-night television, and celebrities are promoting their new projects through different means, such as eating hot wings or podcasts, which garner more attention than linear TV. Late-night as a format is considered tired and outdated, representing a monoculture that no longer exists.
In a challenging backdrop, Paramount recently settled a lawsuit for $16 million regarding an interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris on 60 Minutes, which aired about a month before the 2024 election. This incident underscores the need for networks to adapt to the changing landscape of media consumption and the increasing importance of fact-checking and accountability in journalism.
References: [1] The Hollywood Reporter [2] Variety [3] Deadline [4] Axios
- As the fashion of traditional late-night television declines, entertainers are pulling weeds and finding new avenues for exposure, such as TikTok and podcasts.
- The rise of streaming platforms like Netflix and YouTube, coupled with the financial pressures on networks, has led to the cancellation of shows like The Late Late Show and replacement with lower-cost syndicated programming.
- The business model of late-night television relies on advertisements, but the decline in viewership has led to a significant drop in ad revenues, causing networks to seek alternate funding sources.
- In the era of rapid cultural change, the style and format of late-night television may need a manual overhaul or face extinction, as viewers prefer the convenience of streaming services and new forms of entertainment.
