Paramount’s broadcast network CBS will hand over the 11:35 p.m. Eastern Time slot to Byron Allen in mid-May upon the closure of its “Late Show” franchise.
Beginning May 22, the network will move “Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen” into the time slot, replacing the long-running franchise that will end after an 11-year run with Stephen Colbert. The expanded agreement with Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group will see “Comics Unleashed” air as a two-hour block each weeknight, consisting of back-to-back half-hour episodes. The show had previously occupied the 12:35 a.m. slot following “After Midnight with Taylor Tomlinson.”
The transition marks CBS’ full exit from traditional late-night programming, a move executives have framed as financially driven amid broader declines in linear television advertising.
CBS executives first announced the cancellation of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” last July, describing the decision as “purely financial” and unrelated to the show’s ratings or editorial direction. George Cheeks, Chair of TV Media at Paramount, later underscored the economic challenges facing the format, citing a “significant secular decline” in the late-night advertising market.
The pivot to time-buy programming reflects a broader industry shift, as networks look to reduce production costs and mitigate revenue volatility tied to traditional ad sales. Under this model, producers like Allen Media Group purchase airtime and retain a larger share of advertising inventory, effectively transferring financial risk away from the network.
It isn’t clear how many people watch Allen’s show that currently occupies the 12:35 a.m. time slot; since Allen Media pays for the time slot, it isn’t rated by Nielsen.
Allen is currently selling his portfolio of local television stations in order to pay down a staggering amount of debt accrued over the past few years. He has made numerous unsuccessful bids for media companies, including offers to acquire TEGNA, BET Media and the Walt Disney Company’s broadcast network ABC.
