so I do think there were lots of things in play, I think Trump was a factor, but not the only factor by any means
Late night is not what it used to be, most only watch clips on youtube/insta and don't really watch the actual show
So why would advertisers pay to be a part of that
I've seen variations of this a few times:
Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show was reportedly losing about $40 million per year, primarily due to its high production costs—which included Colbert’s salary (estimated $15–20 million), a roughly 200-person staff, and expensive studio operations—against declining ad revenue
The show's annual production cost was over $100 million (including talent, crew, studio, and overhead)
Ad revenue for The Late Show dropped from around $121 million in 2018 to approximately $70 million in 2024
if it's losing 40 mill a year, even if Colbert did it for free, wouldn't cover it
I think it would be impossible to find $50 million in savings (as you have to make some money to make it worth it)
Ad revenue dried up fairly dramatically
