Who is Byron Allen? Comics Unleashed host taking slot of Stephen Colbert's The Late Show

Byron Allen’s comedy panel show Comics Unleashed is set to take the slot of Stephen Colbert's The Late Show from May 22, 2026, CBS confirmed.

It marks the end of The Late Show by Colbert on CBS after more than a decade. The flagship show was cancelled in July 2025 due to financial losses. Reports indicate that the broadcaster was losing $40 million a year on a production budget of $100 million per season.

Comics Unleashed will air two back-to-back 30-minute episodes in the slot. Allen's comedy game show Funny You Should Ask will follow immediately after. The deal runs through the 2026-2027 television season.

Details of the deal between Allen Media Group and CBS

The deal between Allen Media Group and CBS is quite interesting as Allen will pay CBS for airtime, putting the network into immediate profitability in that slot. Allen will also cover all the production costs as well. So, how will he earn money? He will sell his own advertising.

Who is Byron Allen?

Byron Allen, though not a household name, is one of the most powerful figures in the Media Industry. Born in Detroit in 1961, he moved to Los Angeles as a child after his parents divorced. His mother worked as a publicist at NBC Studios, which is where Allen first developed his love for television.

He started performing stand-up comedy at 14. Comedian Jimmie Walker spotted him and put him on his writing team alongside a young Jay Leno and David Letterman. Allen became the youngest comedian ever to perform on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson at 18. That appearance launched his career.

He co-hosted NBC's Real People through the early 1980s, then hosted his own syndicated late night talk show.

In 1993 he founded what eventually became Allen Media Group, now valued at over $4.5 billion. He owns The Weather Channel (favourite channel of character Dr Shaun Murphy from The Good Doctor on Netflix), multiple broadcast television stations, cable networks and a library of syndicated programming. His net worth is estimated at around $800 million to $1 billion.

Comics Unleashed has been on CBS since 2006, which originally aired after Colbert’s The Late Show. The format features Allen seated with rotating comedians, setting up topics for them to riff on.

Colbert’s Response:

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Colbert wished Byron luck, saying, “God bless him. I know Byron. We got to know each other last year, actually. He's fascinating.”

He said he personally wrote to Allen the morning the news broke. The Late Show finale airs May 21.