Jimmy Kimmel has never been shy about turning late-night television into a political platform. But in the aftermath of CBS announcing The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will end in May 2026, Jimmy Kimmel has gone on a full media tour—blaming Donald Trump, scolding conservatives for not being outraged, and even claiming late-night is healthier than ever, even comparing today’s audience to the Johnny Carson’s era.
Jimmy Kimmel speaks to Arnold Schwarzenegger on Jimmy Kimmel Live – YouTube, Jimmy Kimmel Live
It’s a defense that reveals more about how out of touch late-night has become than it does anything about Colbert’s cancellation.
Kimmel Scolds Conservatives
In recent interviews, Kimmel rejected reports that Colbert’s program was losing around $40 million annually. He called the figure “nonsensical” and argued that critics don’t understand how television profits are calculated. Affiliate fees, he insisted, make Colbert’s show profitable regardless of what industry analysts claim.
Jimmy Kimmel performing a Monologue on his ABC show – X, @kylenabecker
Then he pivoted to politics, saying Trump was ultimately responsible for the cancellation and chastising conservatives for not being furious about it.
“I think we were all shocked and disappointed that this kind of thing is happening in America, and also disappointed that we don’t see more people on the right stepping up and saying, ‘Hey, this is no good,’ he said. “Silencing comedians, commentators, whatever you want to call people… I have to say, if Joe Biden had used his muscle to get Sean Hannity kicked off the air, you may be surprised to learn that I would not support that. I would, in fact, support Sean Hannity in that situation, because I thought one of the founding principles of this country was free speech. But people don’t seem to care about protecting it unless you agree with them.”
Stephen Colbert on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert – YouTube, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
Instead of agreeing with him, conservatives have pointed to Colbert’s ballooning production costs and weak demo performance as the real culprits.
To them, Kimmel’s insistence on Trump-as-boogeyman over the stark reality of Colbert’s stunning late night losses looks like more Hollywood deflection—another attempt to dodge the financial and cultural realities staring late-night in the face.
The Billboard Defense
Jimmy Kimmel hasn’t just defended Colbert with words. In a gesture of loyalty, he purchased a billboard in Los Angeles promoting Colbert for an Emmy instead of himself. He framed it as solidarity with a friend wrongfully silenced.
Stephen Colbert dances around with human needles – YouTube, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
But to outsiders, it reinforced the perception that Hollywood elites are circling the wagons. Instead of addressing why audiences have fled late-night, Kimmel offered symbolic stunts and moral posturing.
The Financial Reality CBS Couldn’t Ignore
Here’s what CBS executives were really grappling with:
- The Late Show cost well over $100 million a year to produce.
- Colbert’s estimated $15–20 million salary alone accounted for a hefty slice of those costs.
- Despite strong overall viewership, Colbert lagged in the 18–49 demo, the lifeblood of advertising.
- Industry-wide, late-night ad revenue collapsed from $439 million in 2018 to just $220 million in 2024.
Stephen Colbert on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert – YouTube, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
In other words, prestige didn’t pay the bills. Networks don’t cancel profitable shows. They cancel money-losers. And Colbert’s show, despite headlines, wasn’t pulling its financial weight.
Kimmel’s Self-Own
In trying to dismiss these financial reports, Kimmel brought up his own past ratings.
“I will tell you, the first 10 years I did the show, they claimed we weren’t making any money … and we had five times as many viewers on ABC as we do now.”
Jimmy Kimmel reading tweets from President Trump at The Oscars – YouTube, New York Post
Kimmel meant this as proof that networks distort profitability. Instead, it came across as a self-own that pointed out how many viewers he’s bled over the years.
By admitting that his show once had five times the audience it has now yet was still allegedly unprofitable, Kimmel reinforced the very point he was trying to knock down: ratings don’t equal financial health. Networks look at ad dollars and demographics, not just raw viewership.
Rather than proving Colbert was unfairly treated, Jimmy Kimmel underlined just how shaky late-night economics have been for years.
The Carson Comparison
If Kimmel’s self-own wasn’t enough, he also tried to argue that more people are watching late-night now than ever before—even compared to Johnny Carson.
“More people are watching late-night television than ever before — and I include Johnny Carson in that,” he said.
Arnold Schwarzenegger on Jimmy Kimmel Live – YouTube, Jimmy Kimmel Live
The problem? That claim doesn’t hold water. When Carson was at his peak, The Tonight Show regularly pulled 9 million nightly viewers. His lead-in programs were drawing 30 to 40 million people.
Today’s late-night hosts, by contrast, often average fewer than 2 million live viewers. Even if you add YouTube clips and streaming, the totals don’t compare to the cultural dominance of Carson’s era.
By claiming otherwise, Kimmel exposed just how desperate late-night defenders are to spin the numbers. Digital clips may be shared, but monetization is weaker, advertiser interest is lower, and cultural impact is a fraction of what Carson commanded. To pretend otherwise stretches credibility to the breaking point.
Conservatives Aren’t Buying It
For conservatives, Kimmel’s attempts to reframe the narrative only confirm what they already believed: Colbert wasn’t canceled because of Trump, but because of math. And Kimmel’s shifting arguments—from affiliate fees, to personal ratings anecdotes, to Carson comparisons—come across as increasingly desperate.
After nearly a decade of Colbert skewering Trump and conservatives on a nightly basis, it’s no surprise they aren’t rallying to his defense. They see a host who alienated half the country, lost his grip on younger viewers, and became too expensive to justify.
Stephen Colbert Delivers a Monologue on The Late Show – YouTube, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
Kimmel’s defenses also highlight a larger truth: late-night television is struggling. Monologues have devolved into partisan lectures, cultural influence has cratered, and younger audiences have moved on to YouTube, TikTok, and streaming.
Even within Hollywood, the whispers are growing louder. Conan O’Brien recently warned that late-night faces “existential” threats. Paramount’s Jeff Shell admitted the economics of these shows are broken. Yet Kimmel insists it’s healthier than ever—contradicting not just the numbers but the lived reality of the medium.
Final Thoughts
Jimmy Kimmel wants people to believe Trump was behind the Colbert cancellation. He wants conservatives to feel outrage, and he wants the media to embrace his narrative that late-night isn’t dying.
But the numbers say otherwise. The Late Show was one of the most expensive programs on network television, hemorrhaging money while advertisers lost interest in its older-skewing audience. Kimmel’s own anecdotes—and his Carson comparison—only undercut his case.
Jimmy Kimmel tricks women into signing a petition to take away their right to vote on an episode of “The Man Show” – Youtube, J Evan
Instead of scolding conservatives or rewriting history, Kimmel might do well to ask why audiences have tuned out. Because until late-night faces those answers, no amount of finger-pointing at Trump will stop more shows from joining Colbert on the chopping block.
How do you feel about Jimmy Kimmel and his take on the Colbert cancellation? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
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