Jon Stewart to Remain on “The Daily Show” for Another Year
Jon Stewart is set to continue his role as host of “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central for at least another year, even though he’s known for his sharp critiques of President Trump, who maintains a friendship with the channel’s parent company owner, Paramount Skydance.
Comedy Central confirmed this on Monday, stating that Stewart will host the show and serve as executive producer until the end of 2026.
This agreement comes after weeks of discussions led by George Cheeks, the head of television at Paramount.
“Jon Stewart continues to elevate the genre he created,” said Ari Pearce, head of Comedy Central, in a statement.
His ongoing presence is seen as a commitment to the clever humor and insightful commentary that have come to define “The Daily Show.”
Trump has been one of Stewart’s main subjects of criticism since his return to the show early last year.
Recently, Stewart lampooned Trump for throwing a lavish “Great Gatsby”-themed bash at his Mar-a-Lago estate while a federal government shutdown loomed.
Cheeks reportedly made it a point to persuade Stewart to remain, as Trump supports Paramount’s ambitions to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery. Notably, Cheeks reports to David Ellison, the CEO of Paramount Skydance, who shares a friendship with Trump.
Interestingly, while Trump has taken aim at late-night hosts like Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel for their jabs, he appears to be less focused on “The Daily Show.”
Earlier this year, Skydance finalized an $8 billion acquisition of Paramount Global, which gained regulatory approval during the Trump administration.
This merger was approved after Paramount Global executives settled a lawsuit with Trump over a CBS News “60 Minutes” interview that he claimed was misleadingly edited.
Following that settlement, CBS announced plans to cancel Colbert’s late-night show next year.
While CBS maintains the firing was financially motivated due to decreasing viewership in late-night television, Trump commended the move and Ellison’s choice of Bari Weiss for heading CBS News.
Stewart’s contract renewal might signal Paramount’s intention to showcase its independence, similar to its arrangements with the creators of “South Park,” who openly oppose Trump.
Letting Stewart go could’ve been a PR nightmare for Paramount, reminiscent of the backlash ABC faced after suspending Kimmel in September due to his derogatory remarks about Charlie Kirk, which, I think, stirred up quite a controversy.
This incident also led to a significant subscriber loss for Disney+, which saw nearly 3 million users leave, double the typical churn rate.
