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Colbert leaving boosted ratings — turns out the funniest thing he ever did was exit.
Yesterday 6:09 am
That is NOT a financial statement..it proceeds from the same "reported" data.ROG62 » 8 minutes ago » wrote: ↑ Financial Performance of The Late Show with Stephen ColbertAnnual LossesThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert faced significant financial challenges during its run. Reports indicate that the show lost between $40 million and $50 million annually for CBS. This substantial loss was a key factor in the network's decision to cancel the program in 2025.Contributing FactorsSeveral factors contributed to these financial losses:Comparison with Replacement ShowFollowing the cancellation, CBS replaced The Late Show with Byron Allen's Comics Unleashed under a new "time buy" model. This model is projected to generate a $15 million profit, marking a $55 million swing in financial performance compared to Colbert's show.
- Rising Production Costs: The cost to produce the show was approximately $100 million per year.
- Declining Viewership: Despite being the number one rated show in its time slot, viewership for late-night television has been declining, particularly among younger audiences.
- Advertising Revenue: The overall advertising revenue for late-night shows has halved from $438 million in 2018 to significantly lower figures by 2023, impacting CBS's revenue from The Late Show.