Stephen Colbert Questions Cancellation After Paramount’s WB Offer

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Stephen Colbert, a late-night talk show host, has expressed confusion about Paramount’s effort to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, wondering what the reasoning is behind such a major deal.

This week, David Ellison, the CEO of Paramount, made an offer to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, which the company didn’t ask for. This happened right after Paramount reached an agreement with Netflix, giving Netflix the rights to popular movies and TV shows from Warner Bros., HBO, and HBO Max.

Okay, so the streaming landscape just got a whole lot more interesting. Initially, Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery put a deal on the table worth around $82.7 billion – that worked out to $27.75 a share. But hold on, because Paramount came in swinging with a counteroffer! They’ve raised the stakes to $30 a share, which brings their total proposal to over $108 billion. It’s a significant jump, and it really puts the pressure on Netflix and WBD to respond.

The surprising numbers caught the attention of Stephen Colbert, who discussed Paramount’s unusual decision on his show, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, which airs on CBS. He joked that if the studio had money to spend, they should use it to renew popular shows like The Equalizer instead of wasting it.

Honestly, I was blown away to hear my company is doing so well financially. If we’re making this much money, there’s absolutely no reason we shouldn’t be able to revive one of our strongest shows. CBS, the fans are speaking loud and clear – please bring back The Equalizer! I really think it deserves another chance.

In July, CBS announced that The Late Show will conclude after its current season, which runs until May 2026. This announcement came shortly before Skydance completed its purchase of Paramount. CBS stated the show was unprofitable, costing the network about $40 million annually, as the reason for the cancellation.

Colbert reported that Paramount’s potential bid for Warner Bros. Discovery is supported by $24 billion from wealth funds in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi. He then jokingly suggested that this investment definitely came with no strings attached. He also quipped that he anticipated a new CBS series called Young Mohammed bin Sheldon.

It’s easy to suspect there’s a hidden cost when a country’s leader gives you a huge sum of money. And speaking of things that might raise eyebrows, I’m anticipating a new comedy on CBS next season called ‘Young Mohammed bin Sheldon’.

You can watch The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on CBS from Monday to Thursday at 11:35 PM Eastern Time and 8:35 PM Pacific Time. The show will conclude in May 2026.

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2025-12-12 01:08