CBS Backtracks on Copyright Notices for Stephen Colbert’s Surprise Hosting Show Amid Backlash

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Paramount and are resolving their differences. As a result, it will now be easier for fans to find his new show.

According to NBC News, CBS, and its parent company Paramount Skydance, they were behind the recent surge of copyright takedown requests that led to videos of Stephen Colbert’s recent appearance on Only in Monroe being removed from the internet. However, CBS is now reconsidering this action after facing significant criticism online, and is reportedly taking another look at the decision.

Why Paramount and CBS Went After Stephen Colbert’s Only in Monroe Appearance

The day after Stephen Colbert’s final episode of The Late Show aired on CBS, he returned to TV with a special. The show featured appearances by many stars, including Jeff Daniels, Steve Buscemi, and Eminem, plus a performance by Jack White. Colbert also surprised viewers by interviewing the show’s very first hosts, Michelle Baumann and Kaye Lani Rae Rafko Wilson.

While Colbert’s latest Only in Monroe appearance took off online, against unauthorized copies of the footage. While this came as a major surprise to many, it turns out that Paramount had, in fact, financed and produced the episode at least in part, which tied back to the very beginning of the series, even prior to Colbert’s CBS debut.

Colbert jokingly referenced a very early, little-known performance of The Late Show during his final episode. He recalled that the show’s very first broadcast in July 2015 actually took place at a public access station in Monroe, Michigan, and was only seen by 12 people. He quipped that, given the current state of the entertainment industry, he might end up performing there again.

Where Paramount’s Latest Move Leaves Stephen Colbert

The current situation is complex, but Paramount and CBS have tried to make things clearer. The network explained that they routinely send copyright notices to websites illegally posting content from CBS and its stars, like Stephen Colbert. However, CBS has decided to temporarily stop enforcing this standard practice while they review it further.

As such, curious viewers should have no problem hunting down a copy of Colbert’s May 23 appearance on Only in Monroe for themselves. Whether that remains to be the case for long is still to be decided, although because of how quickly Paramount quelled their own initial volley of DMCA takedown requests, it seems unlikely that copies of the episode will be pulled from the internet en masse all over again.

Despite the new content, dedicated viewers of The Late Show still miss the original series. The finale actually drew record numbers of viewers – almost three times the average for the first three months of 2026, according to Nielsen.

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2026-05-26 00:49