Late-night shows under pressure in a hyper-partisan streaming era

Late-night comedy shows face a slew of challenges as streaming and hyper-partisan politics puts more pressure on traditional networks and comedy, respectively. Why it matters: Late-night shows used to be the crown jewel of big broadcast. Now, they present more risks. Zoom in: CBS on Thursday said it was canceling "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" after the next season in May 2026. The network said it was "purely a financial decision," related to challenges in the late-night time slot, and was "not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount."Reality check: The late-night comedy show format, split between an opening monologue, short interviews and comedic bits, is hard to preserve for an on-demand audience in streaming, as most clips air nearly instantaneously on social media.Late-night shows, like the rest of linear television, are struggling from declining ad revenues amid consistent if not higher production costs associated with live daily telecasts.Between the lines: In a hyper-partisan world, comedy targeting politics risks alienating sizable audiences or drawing ire from people in power.President Trump has in the past taken aim at late-night comedians, calling ABC's Jimmy Kimmel "one of the dumbest human beings ever" and NBC's Jimmy Fallon "not very funny."He's called "Late Night" host Seth Meyers "dumb and untalented" while demanding that NBC parent Comcast "pay a BIG price" for what he says are "political hits" against him and the Republican Party.Those jabs come as broadcasters face unprecedented regulatory pressure from the Trump administration's FCC. Comcast/NBC, Paramount/CBS and Disney/ABC have all announced changes to their DEI policies as the the FCC investigates their diversity, equity and inclusion practices.Of note: Stephen Colbert was a vocal critic of the president and his policies. CBS' parent Paramount this month settled a lawsuit with Trump that legal experts believe it otherwise could've won in courtZoom out: The past few years has seen a slew of late-night shakeups as networks grapple with declining viewership and ad revenue.Trevor Noah announced an unexpected departure after a seven-year run at "The Daily Show" in 2022.Samantha Bee's "Full Frontal With Samantha Bee" on TBS was cancelled a few months earlier.James Corden, formerly host of CBS' "The Late Late Show," also abruptly exited in 2022. His show was reportedly losing around $20 million annually. Yes, but: One surprising late-night success has been on cable news.Fox News Channel's "Gutfeld!," starring conservative comedian Greg Gutfeld at 10pm ET, has been a ratings bonanza for Fox News, often drawing higher ratings than its late-night broadcast counterparts.What to watch: NBC executives years ago reportedly discussed moving the time slot for "Late Night with Seth Meyers" or taking other cost-cutting measures.Meyers' contract has been renewed through 2028.

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