Key Points
- Jon Stewart will remain a part-time host of “The Daily Show” through 2026.
- The deal comes as Comedy Central’s parent winds down late night shows on its other networks.
- Stewart returned in a part-time capacity during the 2024 election; his contract was last renewed in October 2024.
Paramount Global has renewed Jon Stewart’s deal to host and executive produce “The Daily Show” through December 2026, ensuring the late-night mainstay remains a fixture on Comedy Central even as the company scales back its other talk formats.
Stewart, who returned to the satirical news program in January 2024 after nearly a decade away, will continue his current Monday-only hosting schedule, with the show’s roster of correspondents leading Tuesday through Thursday broadcasts. The rotating “news team” includes Ronny Chieng, Josh Johnson, Jordan Klepper, Michael Kosta, Desi Lydic, Troy Iwata and Grace Kuhlenschmidt.
“Jon Stewart continues to elevate the genre he created,” said Ari Pearce, the lead Paramount executive in charge of programming at Comedy Central. “His return is an ongoing commitment to the incisive comedy and sharp commentary that define ‘The Daily Show.’ The renewal is a win for audiences, for Comedy Central and for all our programming partners.”
The new agreement extends Stewart’s tenure as both host and executive producer, a role he shares with showrunner Jen Flanz and his longtime manager, James Dixon.
Stewart’s return two years ago revived ratings for “The Daily Show,” which recently notched its highest quarterly viewership in four years and its biggest audience share in a decade. The program also picked up three Emmy Awards, bolstering its position as one of the few consistently successful originals on Comedy Central’s linear schedule.
Paramount’s decision to re-sign Stewart comes amid a period of transition across late-night television. The company’s broadcast arm, CBS, plans to end “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” in May 2026, a move executives have described as financially driven. The end of Colbert’s run will mark CBS’s full retreat from traditional late-night programming, leaving Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” as Paramount’s last remaining entry in the genre.
The late-night landscape has grown increasingly volatile as linear viewership erodes. Audiences now consume show highlights via social media and streaming platforms rather than tuning in live, a shift that has reshaped how networks evaluate the value of late-night programming. Political commentary has also made some shows lightning rods for controversy, with recent clashes between talent and station groups over content decisions.
For Paramount, “The Daily Show” remains a proven economic engine. Advertisers have historically been required to buy larger commercial packages to secure inventory within the program, reflecting its steady appeal to younger, politically engaged audiences. By distributing hosting duties among multiple correspondents, Paramount has also reduced production costs while maintaining a sense of continuity and creative energy.
Stewart, who originally hosted “The Daily Show” from 1999 to 2015, rejoined the series after stepping away from his Apple TV Plus program “The Problem with Jon Stewart.” His revival of the Comedy Central franchise has been viewed internally as both a creative and strategic win, helping to stabilize a network that has pared back its original slate in recent years.
“The Daily Show” airs weeknights at 11 p.m. Eastern Time on Comedy Central, with a replay at the same time for West Coast audiences and next-day streaming available on Paramount Plus.
