CBS announced Monday that it plans to transform its late-night programming strategy by selling its 11:35 p.m. time slot to Byron Allen following the conclusion of Stephen Colbert’s talk show this May.
The network, owned by Paramount Skydance, will relocate Allen’s comedy program “Comics Unleashed” to this prime slot through a time purchase arrangement. Starting May 22, viewers will see two consecutive 30-minute episodes each night, according to network officials.
Time purchases represent a standard industry approach during overnight and early morning periods, where networks sell designated airtime blocks to external producers or companies instead of creating their own content for those hours.
This arrangement covers the 2026-2027 television season and is expected to transform CBS’s late-night operations from a financial burden into a revenue generator.
“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” which frequently featured political commentary targeting President Donald Trump, will conclude its decade-long tenure on CBS May 21.
Under this new deal, Allen will also maintain control of the 12:37 a.m. slot, where his comedy game show “Funny You Should Ask” will continue airing.
“I truly appreciate CBS’ confidence in me by picking up our two-hour comedy block of Comics Unleashed and Funny You Should Ask, because the world can never have enough laughter,” Allen stated.
“The Late Show” originally premiered in 1993 featuring David Letterman, who joined CBS after being overlooked for NBC’s “The Tonight Show” hosting position.
Before taking over “The Late Show” in 2015, Colbert gained recognition as a correspondent on “The Daily Show” and later hosted “The Colbert Report” on Comedy Central.
