Jimmy Kimmel Mocks Stephen Colbert Fans for Not Canceling Paramount+ After 'The Late Show' Ends

Jimmy Kimmel took aim at Stephen Colbert’s fans for not canceling their Paramount+ subscriptions after CBS announced the cancellation of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.

The comedian shared his critique during the reunion of the Strike Force Five podcast hosts—including Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver—on Monday’s episode of The Late Show.

"The fact of the matter is, more people are watching late night television now than [ever before]… obviously Johnny Carson had a lot of people watching one show, but we have a lot of shows with like, 30,000 people watching each one, right?"

Kimmel said while making a case for late night TV. "And it adds up. And people watch us on YouTube now. And people have a lot of different options, and yet they still keep coming to us."

Addressing Colbert’s supporters directly, Kimmel added,

"And I will tell you, when I got knocked off the air for a few days, people canceled Disney+. Why aren’t you people canceling Paramount+? Because you didn’t have it in the first place?"

John Oliver, host of Last Week Tonight on HBO, responded with humor, suggesting his stance on Paramount+ depended on the status of the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger.

"Jimmy, until the deal goes through, if I could just do a counter that Paramount+ might have some good programming,"

Oliver quipped. "Unless it’s not going through, in which case, it can go f—k itself now and forever."

Jimmy Fallon also weighed in, calling the cancellation of The Late Show "odd."

"It’s a bummer, because I wanted to do this longer with you,"

Fallon said. Oliver quickly dismissed the comment as "network television" speak, calling it "some fresh bulls—t."

Kimmel also encouraged Colbert to embrace a fiery final stretch on air, urging him to debut "angry Stephen" and "go nuts" in his final days. He described the moment as

"When this guy takes off his glasses and shakes out his hair… It’s the sexiest damn thing you’ve ever seen."

CBS confirmed in January that The Late Show With Stephen Colbert will air its final episode on May 21, 2025. The decision followed CBS’ announcement last summer that the show would conclude shortly after Colbert criticized Paramount’s $16 million settlement with former President Donald Trump, calling it a "big fat bribe."

However, CBS executives clarified that the cancellation was a financial decision unrelated to the remarks.

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET on CBS.