LDH “Jimmy Kimmel Challenges “Lies” Behind Stephen Colbert’s Show Cancellation, Disputes Financial Reports” LDH

Jimmy Kimmel Disputes Financial Claims in Stephen Colbert’s ‘Late Show’ Cancellation

Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel has publicly challenged the stated reasons for the impending cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s program, asserting that the financial justifications provided by Paramount/CBS are “obviously lies” and not reflective of the television industry’s economic realities. The development adds a layer of industry intrigue to the news that Colbert’s contract will not be renewed, with his show scheduled to conclude its run in May of the upcoming year.

Kimmel, who has recently navigated his own professional controversies, has now on multiple occasions offered his perspective on the end of his colleague’s show, focusing his criticism on the reported figure of a $40 million annual loss.

Scrutinizing the Numbers on a Public Platform

During an appearance on the Where Everybody Knows Your Name Podcast, Kimmel provided a detailed rebuttal to the claims circulating about Colbert’s show’s financial performance. He expressed firm disbelief in the figures released by the network, drawing on his own extensive experience with the financial structures of late-night television.

“We don’t know for sure,” Kimmel stated. “But I do know, what I do know for sure is that some of the information that has been released by the people who let him go can’t possibly be true. There’s no way he’s losing $40 million a year. There’s no way it’s even close to that.”

He elaborated on his position, explaining that his insider knowledge of the business model makes the reported loss not just improbable, but fundamentally illogical. “I know how the finances of late night television shows work and it’s just ridiculous. It doesn’t make any sense at all,” he continued. From Kimmel’s viewpoint, the public dissemination of a figure he deems impossible serves as a red flag, suggesting a lack of transparency from the network. He concluded his point by connecting the questionable data to a broader distrust of the official narrative: “So when you hear things that are obviously lies, you have to assume that there are more lies behind it, right? And that’s what I think.”

Consistent Criticism and Industry Insight

This podcast commentary was not an isolated incident. Kimmel had previously voiced similar skepticism in an interview with Variety, where he addressed his own position in the television landscape and the specific reports about Colbert’s show’s unprofitability. He criticized what he saw as a fundamental misunderstanding of media economics by those reporting on it.

“It really is surprising how little the media seems to know about how the media works,” Kimmel told the publication. “There’s just not a snowball’s chance in hell that that’s anywhere near accurate.”

To reinforce his argument, Kimmel drew a parallel to his own show’s financial history with its network, ABC. He noted that for a decade, his program was officially presented as not generating a profit, even during a period when its viewership was five times larger than it is today. “Even that — that’s all you need to know. Suddenly he’s losing $40 million a year? Will I tell you, the first 10 years I did the show, they claimed we weren’t making any money — and we had five times as many viewers on ABC as we do now,” he explained. This anecdote illustrates the complex and often opaque nature of network accounting, where official profitability figures may not tell the complete story. Kimmel concluded his thoughts on the matter with a pragmatic observation: “Who knows what’s true? All I know is they keep paying us — and that’s kind of all you need to know.”

Support Amidst Personal Turmoil

Kimmel’s decision to vocally defend a peer is notable, particularly as it comes at a time when he has been managing his own professional challenges. His show was recently put on a brief hiatus following public reaction to out-of-context comments he made regarding the assassination of Charlie Kirk. That he has continued to speak out against the discourse surrounding Colbert’s departure, despite his own recent difficulties, underscores the strength of his conviction on the matter. His candidness provides a rare glimpse into the financial workings of a notoriously guarded industry and offers a counter-narrative to the one presented by Paramount/CBS. With Kimmel’s own program now back on the air, his commentary suggests he will continue to be a prominent and opinionated voice within the late-night community, unafraid to question official statements from major networks. His sustained defense of Colbert raises broader questions about transparency and the complex relationship between networks and their highest-profile talent.