ForStephen Colbert, the numbers aren't adding up.
The "Late Show" host,whoseprogram was canceledby Paramount earlier this year,took Tuesday night's monologueto wonder aloud about the state of the company's finances amida $108 billion offerfromCEO David Ellison to buy Warner Bros. Discovery. When Paramount, the parent company of CBS which airs the "Late Show,"canceled the programearlier this year, the entertainment giant cited financial concerns.
Colbert, however, wondered how that could be true, as this month,Paramount offereda sizablehostile bid for Warner Bros.after thecompany agreed to a deal with Netflix. The Netflix deal is valued at $82.7 billion, or $27.75 per share of WBD common stock,while Paramount's offerrang in at $30 per share, pushing the total over $108 billion.
The fight for Warner Bros.gets hostile. Consumers have a lot to lose.
"Wow. I gotta say, if my company's got that kind of green, I'm sure they can afford to un-cancel one of their best shows,"Colbertquipped during a Dec. 9 broadcast. "CBS, you heard the people — bring back 'The Equalizer.'"
Noting reports that chunks of Paramount'soffer come from foreign wealth funds, Colbert added: "And when the dictator of Saudi Arabia gives you billions of dollars, I'm sure there's no catch. In a totally unrelated story, I'm looking forward to next season's new CBS hit comedy, 'Young Mohammed bin Sheldon.'"
Netflix is buying Warner Bros.Here's what it means for you
Netflix's proposed deal with Warner Bros., and the subsequent bidding war it set off, has rattled the entertainment industry. Cappinga decade defined by streaming wars, the large entertainment unions began blowing the whistle on anti-trust, claiming that the merging of major studios threatens artistic expression, worker conditions, the health of the movie theater business and consumer prices.
"The world's largest streaming company swallowing one of its biggest competitors is what antitrust laws were designed to prevent," The Writers Guild of America said in a statement Dec. 5. "The outcome would eliminate jobs, push down wages, worsen conditions for all entertainment workers, raise prices for consumers, and reduce the volume and diversity of content for all viewers."
Comedian Jimmy Kimmel's late-night talk show, "Jimmy Kimmel Live!", will resume production after it was pulled off the air Sept. 17, following comments he made in the wake of Charlie Kirk's killing. Kimmel, a frequent critic of Donald Trump, often earned the ire of the president.After the announcement, Trump urged other networks to do the same. Scroll to see the other late-night talk show hosts that have feuded with the president over the years." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
In 2016, Jimmy Fallon interviewed Trump ahead of the election, ruffling the then-candidate's signature orange hair. After the interview received backlash, Fallon said he regretted parts of the interview. In response, Trump took to social media to criticize the "Tonight Show" host, writing: "@jimmyfallon is now whimpering to all that he did the famous 'hair show' with me (where he seriously messed up my hair), & that he would have now done it differently because it is said to have 'humanized' me-he is taking heat. He called & said 'monster ratings.' Be a man Jimmy!" Fallon is pictured here at the Met Gala on May 5, 2025, in New York City." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
"The Daily Show" host Jon Stewart has a history of heated exchanges with Trump. In 2013, Trump tweeted, "I promise you that I'm much smarter than Jonathan Leibowitz - I mean Jon Stewart @TheDailyShow. Who, by the way, is totally overrated." Stewart is a sharp critic of Trump, often taking aim at the political movement he has created.
Here, Stewart is pictured at "The Daily Show" official Emmy Screening on June 7, 2025, in Los Angeles." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
John Oliver, a "Daily Show" alum who now hosts "Last Week Tonight" is also a frequent Trump critic, and feuded publicly with the president over a potential show appearance in 2015. Oliver said he wasn't interested in having Trump on his show, which Trump responded to on X, writing: "John Oliver had his people call to ask me to be on his very boring and low-rated show, I said 'NO THANKS' Waste of time & energy!" Oliver refuted that report.
Here, Oliver is pictured in at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sept. 14, 2025, in Los Angeles." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
When CBS announced the network was terminating "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" after the 2025-2026 season, Trump took to social media to celebrate. "I absolutely love that Colbert got fired, his talent was even less than his ratings," the president wrote. Among his late-night peers, Colbert was among Trump's sharpest critics.
Colbert is pictured here at Apple TV+'s Primetime Emmy party red carpet on Sept. 14, 2025, in West Hollywood." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Seth Meyers, the host of "Late Night" on NBC is a frequent critic of Trump and his administration.The ire, it seems, is mutual, with the president writing previously on social media: "How bad is Seth Meyers on NBC, a 'network' run by a truly bad group of people - Remember, they also run MSDNC. I got stuck watching Marble Mouth Meyers the other night, the first time in months, and every time I watch this moron I feel an obligation to say how dumb and untalented he is, merely a slot filler for the Scum that runs Comcast."
Meyers is pictured here at SiriusXM's "The Howard Stern Show" on June 17, 2025, in New York City." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Jimmy Kimmel, Jon Stewart, see late-night hosts who have beefed with President Trump
Comedian Jimmy Kimmel's late-night talk show, "Jimmy Kimmel Live!", willresume production after it was pulled off the airSept. 17, following comments he made in the wake of Charlie Kirk's killing. Kimmel, a frequent critic of Donald Trump, often earned the ire of the president.After the announcement, Trump urged other networks to do the same. Scroll to see the other late-night talk show hosts that have feuded with the president over the years.
"Industry workers along with the public are already impacted by only a few powerful companies maintaining tight control over what consumers can watch on television, on streaming, and in theaters. This merger must be blocked," the statement continued, in a seeming plea to the Federal Communications Bureau.
That the FCC may take center stage marks a full circle moment for Colbert, who, some speculated,saw his show canceled as a move of political acquiescence. Perhaps the sharpest critic of PresidentDonald Trumpin the late-night lineup (though Jimmy Kimmelis certainly in the running now), Colbert's program was axed by Paramount as the company had amajor merger with Skydance Media before the FCC.
When news of the "Late Show" cancellation broke,many accused Paramount of sacrificing Colbertto grease the wheel of approval – which they gained shortly after. Paramount denied those claims, zeroing in on the consistent losses of the show, and insisting the decision was purely financial.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Stephen Colbert jokes Paramount can afford show amid Warner Bros bid
