• Facebook
• Twitter
• Flipboard
• Comments
• Print
• Email

Stephen Colbert goes after Paramount-SkyDance merger with pee jokes

Stephen Colbert went after the SkyDance-Paramount merger on Monday during his monologue, taking aim at their new stock ticker symbol, PSKY, with pee jokes.

The CBS television chief broke his public silence about the decision to cancel "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," echoing company talking points Thursday that the program will be shuttered for purely economic reasons.

Paramount Chair of TV Media George Cheeks spoke about canceling Colbert’s show during a press conference following the close of a long-planned merger that put CBS’ parent company under new ownership. Cheeks, one of the few executives from the previous regime to stick around after the Skydance Media merger, oversaw all of CBS when the decision was made to cancel the program. 

"We are huge fans of Colbert, we love the show. Unfortunately, the economics made it a challenge for us to keep going," Cheeks told reporters in his first public remarks about Colbert since it was revealed the program would end in May 2026 and the "Late Night" brand would be retired.  

CBS CANCELS 'THE LATE SHOW,' STEPHEN COLBERT TO END PROGRAM IN MAY 2026

"The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" will end in May 2026. (Screenshot/Colbert)

"The challenge in late night is that the advertising marketplace is in significant secular decline," Cheeks continued. 

CBS said it was "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night" when announcing the surprising plans last month.  

"The Late Show," which Colbert took over from David Letterman in 2015, famously leaned into liberal politics in the Trump era and became a major platform for Democratic politicians.

Colbert had been outspoken with his criticism of Paramount settling President Donald Trump's lawsuit against the company over CBS' handling of the "60 Minutes" interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris in the run-up to the election. Paramount settled the lawsuit last month, and the FCC approved the long-planned, $8 billion merger with Skydance shortly after. 

CNN'S ANDERSON COOPER SHOWS UP TO SUPPORT 'LATE SHOW' HOST STEPHEN COLBERT AFTER CANCELLATION

Paramount Chair of TV Media George Cheeks. (Kristina Bumphrey/Variety via Getty Images)

Many have questioned the decision, suggesting that it was done to appease Trump and the FCC, but everyone involved has pointed directly to the show’s bottom line from the start. 

"It is not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount," the network said when first announcing the "Late Show" would be canceled. 

Puck News' Matt Belloni reported that the late-night show "has been losing more than $40 million a year" for CBS and that it had a budget of "more than $100 million per season."

COLBERT TELLS TRUMP TO 'GO F--- YOURSELF’ AFTER PRESIDENT TAUNTS HIM OVER SHOW CANCELLATION

When breaking his public silence, Cheeks did not confirm the exact amount but acknowledged the "Late Show" was losing significant cash. 

"At the end of the day, it just wasn’t sustainable to continue," he said. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News Digital’s Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.

• ·初中环保英语作文范文四篇
• ·武磊退出国足集训 恐将缺席世预赛
• ·1977年意大利经典战争片《鞑靼人的荒漠》蓝光中英双字迅雷下载
• ·5:26，中国男子水球与世界强队的差距
• ·《星际：异端先知》女主回应争议：这也是种鼓励
• ·温网首轮：王欣瑜轻取对手晋级 郑钦文苦战出局
• ·叙利亚西北部发生爆炸 至少4人死亡5人受伤
• ·郑钦文直落两盘击败阿朗戈 晋级法网女单32强
• ·英雄联盟格斗游戏《2XKO》或加入约德尔人角色
• ·世界女排联赛北京站揭幕 新一届中国女排首秀迎开门红
• ·温网综合：辛纳首度男单称雄 中国轮椅选手夺得双冠
• ·国足备战伊万强调细节 对阵印尼有望变阵双后腰
• ·马斯克认为AI将有助提高人类生育率 缓解老龄化危机
• ·全国跳水冠军赛：陈芋汐10米台强势夺金
• ·焦科维奇获职业生涯巡回赛单打第100冠
• ·所罗门群岛发生6.2级地震 震源深度30千米