Colbert’s YouTube move tracks late night’s ad flight online
Late night television is undergoing a shift towards digital platforms, exemplified by Stephen Colbert's move to YouTube. This migration follows other creator-led shows now on digital and is driven by significant declines in traditional late night TV ad spend, with budgets shifting to online video platforms like YouTube and Amazon.
Key Takeaways
- Stephen Colbert’s YouTube launch follows creator-led shows including Ben Gleib’s Good Night and Julian Shapiro-Barnum’s Outside Tonight.
- Byron Allen’s Comics Unleashed replaced Colbert’s slot but debuted with an 87% drop from The Late Show finale audience.
- Late night TV ad spend has fallen sharply, with budgets moving to YouTube, Amazon, and social media platforms.
- CBS is still part of the late-night shuffle, but the article points to digital distribution as the growing home for these shows.
Why It Matters
Colbert’s YouTube move is a concrete sign that late night is chasing viewers and advertisers where they already spend time: online video. The article ties that shift to two pressures at once — creator-led shows moving onto digital platforms and a sharp fall in late night TV ad spend. It also shows how brutal the linear handoff can be: Byron Allen’s Comics Unleashed opened 87% below The Late Show finale audience. The next signal to watch is whether more late-night slots or creator shows follow Colbert onto YouTube or Amazon.
Read full article at msn.com
Enjoy our coverage?
Add StreamingMeme as a preferred source on Google to see more of our streaming news at the top of your Search results.
Add as preferred source