Fans demonstrating against the cancellation of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” on Thursday seemed unaware that the network had incurred a $40 million loss from the program.
CBS announced on July 17 that Colbert’s show would conclude in May 2026, citing profitability issues as the reason for its retirement. During a segment on Thursday night’s “Jesse Watters Primetime,” a Fox News reporter interviewed fans who were chanting “Save Colbert” and holding a petition with more than 250,000 signatures.
When asked if they would continue producing a product that was losing $40 million a year, three women and one man expressed their disapproval, saying things like “Absolutely not!”
The reporter then noted the financial loss, prompting one of the protesters to acknowledge that it was indeed a business decision.
Liberal celebrities and some Democrats have suggested that the cancellation was politically motivated, offering theories related to Paramount’s upcoming merger with Skydance. Additionally, when another fan was queried about ways to address the show’s issues, they stated they wouldn’t support getting a new host or changing the content.
Some fans remained skeptical about the network’s financial situation, with one man asserting that it was impossible for CBS to lose money given their number of advertisers. He even questioned whether high-profile guests like Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff and Rep. Jerrold Nadler qualified as marquee names.
CBS also recently settled a $10 billion lawsuit with President Donald Trump regarding the editing of a 2024 interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, which drew criticism from within the company, including from Colbert himself.
Interestingly, fans appeared to be unaware of Colbert’s reported salary of $15 million a year, according to Hollywood Life.
