Colbert Calls for Paramount to Save His Show
Stephen Colbert received applause from the audience during his show on Tuesday night as he suggested that his network should be able to fund his program if it could raise enough cash to launch a hostile takeover of another media entity.
Currently, there’s quite a bidding competition to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, which recently listed for sale. This company holds notable film rights, including popular titles like “The Lord of the Rings” and “Harry Potter.”
Netflix has entered the fray, hoping to secure Warner Bros. with an offer of $82.7 billion, but Paramount has significantly raised the stakes by initiating a hostile takeover bid.
On Monday, Paramount Skydance announced its intent via an all-cash tender offer to purchase the remaining shares of Warner Bros. Discovery. Discovery’s shares had previously traded at $30 each in cash, with the company claiming this is a superior offer compared to Netflix’s proposal.
Colbert, humorously referencing his parent company, Paramount, remarked, “Just yesterday morning, it was reported that my beloved parent company has launched a hostile takeover of Warner Bros. worth $108 billion. That’s incredible. If my company can muster that kind of funding, they could surely afford to cancel one of their top shows,” referring to the planned cancellation of his show by CBS in the spring of 2026.
This cancellation comes after CBS and its parent company reached a settlement related to a lawsuit from Trump concerning claims of “election interference” involving edits made to a “60 Minutes” interview featuring then-Vice President Kamala Harris, who is also his opponent in the upcoming presidential race.
There’s also a broader narrative here, with late-night talk shows seeing a decline in popularity amidst shifting media trends and generational changes.
As the laughter echoed through the venue, Colbert jested for the audience to settle down, playfully clarifying he was actually speaking about the crime drama “The Equalizer,” which stars Queen Latifah, rather than his own show.
He added, “CBS, you must lead the nation and bring back ‘The Equalizer’! Our queen needs to return. Isn’t that part of what has made America so great with the United Nations?”
Colbert didn’t hold back on his critique of the parent company, pointing out some more troubling aspects of the financial backing for Paramount’s bid.
“It turns out, Paramount is receiving assistance from wealth funds in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi to the tune of $24 billion. But, I’m sure there’s no way they’d ever catch the Saudi dictator providing them with billions,” he said, dripping with sarcasm. He then quipped, “On a completely unrelated note, I can’t wait for the new comedy, ‘Vin Sheldon,’ coming next season on CBS.”
