Stephen Colbert appeared to take one last swipe at CBS during his final episode of The Late Show. The longtime host wrapped up his farewell broadcast with a star-studded lineup that included Paul McCartney, Ryan Reynolds, Jon Stewart, Jimmy Fallon, and Seth Meyers, along with Ryan Reynolds, Paul Rudd, Elvis Costello, Bryan Cranston, and Jon Batiste among the celebrity guests filling the Ed Sullivan Theater.
Opening the farewell episode, Colbert thanked viewers for more than a decade spent together. “We love doing this show for you, but we really, really love doing the show with you,” he told the audience.
But it was a moment later in the broadcast that sparked the strongest reaction online. During his regular “Meanwhile” segment, Colbert discussed a copyright lawsuit involving the unlicensed use of Peanuts music, warning that anyone using the music illegally would “have to pay through the nose.”
Moments later, the house band, led by bandleader Louis Cato, launched into the familiar Peanuts theme. A seemingly surprised Colbert turned toward the band and asked whether Cato was really playing the same music he had just described people being sued over.
Colbert’s final joke caught attention
Then came the line that many viewers took as a parting shot at the network. Looking directly into the camera with a smirk, Colbert added: “Oh no, I hope this doesn’t cost CBS any money.”
The remark quickly spread across social media. One viewer wrote on X: “Colbert billing CBS with the Peanuts theme on his way out is elite pettiness.”
The moment landed against a backdrop of notable tension between Colbert and his network. CBS announced in July 2025 that The Late Show would be cancelled, framing it as a purely financial decision made during a difficult period for late-night television.
The timing drew widespread skepticism, however, coming the same week that Paramount, CBS’s parent company, settled a reported $16 million lawsuit with President Donald Trump connected to a dispute over 60 Minutes, and the FCC approved the Paramount-Skydance merger. Colbert had previously called the payment a “big fat bribe,” according to The Guardian.
Tension with CBS drew attention
Despite the cancellation, The Late Show had maintained consistently high ratings, adding to the suspicion among fans that the decision was motivated by something beyond finances. CBS maintained otherwise, stating the move was “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night.”
The finale itself largely avoided direct attacks on CBS, though it was laced with knowing references to the controversial cancellation. Colbert’s final monologue was notably one of the rare occasions on which he did not single out Trump.
The late-night alliance of Seth Meyers, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, and John Oliver, who had dubbed themselves “Strike Force Five,” also appeared to say goodbye. Jimmy Kimmel notably asked ABC to air a rerun of his show so his own viewers could tune in to watch Colbert’s sendoff alongside him.
The evening ended with Colbert and Paul McCartney singing “Hello, Goodbye” together, with friends and family joining them on stage before the two switched off the theater lights.