Jimmy Kimmel has called on fans to cancel their Paramount+ subscriptions in a show of support for Stephen Colbert, whose CBS talk show The Late Show is ending on 21 May. The call came during a Monday episode featuring Kimmel alongside Seth Meyers, Jimmy Fallon and John Oliver in a final joint appearance.
Kimmel, 58, drew parallels to when his own show Jimmy Kimmel Live! was briefly pulled from the air in September after comments about conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. He noted that viewers cancelled Disney+ in solidarity then, and questioned why they were not doing the same for Colbert. “Why aren’t you people canceling Paramount+? Because you never had it in the first place?” he quipped.
The late-night host defended the genre, pointing out that even smaller audiences add up across multiple shows. He highlighted that viewers now watch via YouTube and other platforms. “People have a lot of different options and they keep coming to us,” Kimmel said.
Paramount declined to comment on the remarks. CBS announced the cancellation last July, calling it a financial decision, though speculation has linked it to a merger with Skydance and alleged efforts to appease President Donald Trump. Colbert had also criticised Paramount for a $16 million settlement with Trump over a 2024 interview edit.
Kimmel confirmed his show will air a rerun on the night of Colbert’s finale, as he did for David Letterman’s final show in 2015. Starting 22 May, Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen will take over the 11:35 p.m. slot.
