
Colbert’s Final Late Show Delivers Weeknight Viewership Peak
Stephen Colbert’s final Late Show drew 6.74 million viewers on CBS, the most for a weeknight in his run and well above the season average of roughly 2.4–2.7 million, though not as high as Letterman’s 2015 farewell. The finale also generated online traction, with about 2.9 million views for Colbert’s closing monologue on YouTube and 1.1 million for Paul McCartney’s performance, underscoring how late-night viewing has shifted to clips and social platforms. CBS previously announced the show’s cancellation due to timeslot economics, with Byron Allen’s Comics Unleashed set to take over the 11:30 slot.





