How long did David Letterman host The Late Show? Longtime host calls out CBS over Stephen Colbert cancellation

Renowned television host and producer David Letterman indirectly criticizes the CBS network amid the cancellation of The Late Show, currently hosted by Stephen Colbert. While Letterman hasn't made any official comment on the matter yet, it seems he might have provided a few hints about his opinion. Colbert, who replaced David Letterman after he retired from the show in 2015, announced on July 17, 2025, that the CBS network had decided to cancel The Late Show permanently.

Widely known as the longest-serving late-night talk show host in American television history, David Letterman hosted The Late Show for over two decades, from 1993 to 2015, as per USA Today. Before that, the 78-year-old Letterman hosted NBC's Late Night from 1982 to 1993.

In response to CBS's decision to cancel Colbert's Late Show, Letterman, who had previously taken digs at the network, posted a 20-minute video on his official YouTube channel, which is a compilation of him roasting CBS over the years when he hosted the show.

While CBS is facing backlash for cancelling Colbert's talk show, the video, which contains several old clips of David Letterman, was uploaded to YouTube on July 21, 2025. The description of Letterman's video interestingly read:

"You can't spell CBS without BS."

Check out the YouTube video below:

In the video, there are moments in which David Letterman can be seen criticizing the CBS executives and also expressing dissatisfaction that the network did not care about The Late Show.

Stephen Colbert, who is David Letterman's successor on The Late Show, has gained public support after CBS's decision

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While CBS is facing criticism following its decision to cancel The Late Show permanently, Stephen Colbert has gained public support. As per USA Today, some people are blaming CBS's parent company, Paramount, for canceling the popular talk show to restore friendly relations with President Donald Trump amid an imminent merger with Skydance Media, as that will need federal approval.

Besides that, Colbert, who is anti-Trump, has frequently criticized and mocked Donald Trump on The Late Show. CBS's decision to cancel the talk show came after Stephen called out Paramount regarding a $16 million settlement with Trump, as he sued over an interview with Kamala Harris that he alleged was falsely edited. On July 14, 2025, Stephen Colbert criticized the settlement and called it a "big fat bribe."

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