Colbert: Yet another media capitulation

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Greenman

Lifer
Oct 15, 1999
22,048
6,329
136
Much like conservatives railing on California, you're full of shit when you try to make fun of the most successful in the biz.
Colbert has the most watched night show, and California is the 5th largest world economy on its own
But the Colbert show doesn't turn a profit, and according to folks who write the checks, the show actually looses a great deal of money every year.
 

Fenixgoon

Lifer
Jun 30, 2003
33,119
12,531
136
But the Colbert show doesn't turn a profit, and according to folks who write the checks, the show actually looses a great deal of money every year.
So why wasn't the show cancelled long ago? If it's so historically unprofitable, then the smart move would have been to dump it after a few years of consistent underperformance.

And yet, Uber still exists... (Despite its long history of losing money)
 
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outriding

Diamond Member
Feb 20, 2002
4,196
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But the Colbert show doesn't turn a profit, and according to folks who write the checks, the show actually looses a great deal of money every year.

The late show gets about 40% more viewers than the 2nd place show

It is not the content rather management issues
 

Greenman

Lifer
Oct 15, 1999
22,048
6,329
136
The late show gets about 40% more viewers than the 2nd place show

It is not the content rather management issues
The number of viewers doesn't matter if the show doesn't turn a profit. I suppose the network could be lying about the reasons for canceling it, but why bother?
 
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Greenman

Lifer
Oct 15, 1999
22,048
6,329
136
Seems like that would be more on the stuffed suits managing the money than the guy generating top ratings.
That could well be true, but if paramount can't turn a profit on the show that pretty much explains the cancelation. They aren't a none profit or public service enterprise, they have to sell advertising or subscriptions to make it all happen. Maybe they just need better salesmen?
I've also read that 26 is when Colbert's contract is up, so that's the time to cut their losses.
 

NWRMidnight

Diamond Member
Jun 18, 2001
3,496
3,039
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That could well be true, but if paramount can't turn a profit on the show that pretty much explains the cancelation. They aren't a none profit or public service enterprise, they have to sell advertising or subscriptions to make it all happen. Maybe they just need better salesmen?
I've also read that 26 is when Colbert's contract is up, so that's the time to cut their losses.
Hmm.. they earned $220 million in late night advertising from their late night shows in 2024, with Colbert being the meat and potatoes time slot for the majority of that money, explain how they are losing $40 Million when Colbert (The late show) had a budget of $100 million, including all salaries? Where did the other $120 Million go? The math doesn't math.. Even snopes can't get any concrete evidence that really confirm your $40 million claim, that comes from social media posts (Facebook). (we now know where you get your facts from though).

 
Last edited:
Dec 10, 2005
28,048
12,656
136
Hmm.. they earned $220 million in late night advertising from their late night shows in 2024, with Colbert being the meat and potatoes time slot for the majority of that money, explain how they are losing $40 Million when Colbert (The late show) had a budget of $100 million, including all salaries? Where did the other $120 Million go? The math doesn't math.. Even snopes can't get any concrete evidence that really confirm your $40 million claim, that comes from social media posts (Facebook). (we now know where you get your facts from though).

Hollywood Math ensures that nothing ever makes a net profit, so you never have to pay the suckers who signed contracts that get money based on profits. And for TV, it might have an ice bonus of giving you a facially neutral reason to ax something you don't want anymore for whatever reason.
 

Pens1566

Lifer
Oct 11, 2005
13,475
10,922
136
Hmm.. they earned $220 million in late night advertising from their late night shows in 2024, with Colbert being the meat and potatoes time slot for the majority of that money, explain how they are losing $40 Million when Colbert (The late show) had a budget of $100 million, including all salaries? Where did the other $120 Million go? The math doesn't math.. Even snopes can't get any concrete evidence that really confirm your $40 million claim, that comes from social media posts (Facebook). (we now know where you get your facts from though).


It's almost like they either 1) don't understand how ratings/advertising works or 2) aren't really arguing in good faith ...
 

cytg111

Lifer
Mar 17, 2008
25,737
15,214
136
Hmm.. they earned $220 million in late night advertising from their late night shows in 2024, with Colbert being the meat and potatoes time slot for the majority of that money, explain how they are losing $40 Million when Colbert (The late show) had a budget of $100 million, including all salaries? Where did the other $120 Million go? The math doesn't math.. Even snopes can't get any concrete evidence that really confirm your $40 million claim, that comes from social media posts (Facebook). (we now know where you get your facts from though).

No no no no no no ... Why would they lie? It just doesnt make sense?

/looking at greenmans all blank spot on the MRI.
 

outriding

Diamond Member
Feb 20, 2002
4,196
3,530
136
The number of viewers doesn't matter if the show doesn't turn a profit. I suppose the network could be lying about the reasons for canceling it, but why bother?

That’s really not my point (I forgot to add)

Easy to say nbc/ abc / etc.. have similar operating costs…. And they probably charge the same for advertising costs…

Why are not the other shows being cancelled? Right. They would have 40% more income..


So they should have been cancelled long ago
 

Greenman

Lifer
Oct 15, 1999
22,048
6,329
136
That’s really not my point (I forgot to add)

Easy to say nbc/ abc / etc.. have similar operating costs…. And they probably charge the same for advertising costs…

Why are not the other shows being cancelled? Right. They would have 40% more income..


So they should have been cancelled long ago
I don't know what the budgets of those shows are or what revenue they generate.
It's very possible Trump told Paramount to can Colbert if they wanted their other deal to be approved. Paramount had two choices if that happened, capitulate or go public and take it to court. If Colbert was a money maker wouldn't dumping him reduce there leverage in the merger and make a fight worth while? Whereas if the show is a looser and they dump it that improves their financial standing. The only other piece of information that hasn't been considered is Trump himself. Do you believe that Trump could get Colbert fired and not crow about it? That he wouldn't be saying how he personally had Colbert canned in the greatest negotiation in the history of broadcast TV?
 

nakedfrog

No Lifer
Apr 3, 2001
61,964
17,734
136
Hmm.. they earned $220 million in late night advertising from their late night shows in 2024, with Colbert being the meat and potatoes time slot for the majority of that money, explain how they are losing $40 Million when Colbert (The late show) had a budget of $100 million, including all salaries? Where did the other $120 Million go? The math doesn't math.. Even snopes can't get any concrete evidence that really confirm your $40 million claim, that comes from social media posts (Facebook). (we now know where you get your facts from though).

The $220 million figure isn't specific to CBS, it appears to be the total for "broadcast network advertising revenue for late-night programs", but the $40 million loss also doesn't include "some ancillary revenue", so it's hard to draw any real conclusions about the data.
 
Dec 10, 2005
28,048
12,656
136
I don't know what the budgets of those shows are or what revenue they generate.
It's very possible Trump told Paramount to can Colbert if they wanted their other deal to be approved. Paramount had two choices if that happened, capitulate or go public and take it to court. If Colbert was a money maker wouldn't dumping him reduce there leverage in the merger and make a fight worth while? Whereas if the show is a looser and they dump it that improves their financial standing. The only other piece of information that hasn't been considered is Trump himself. Do you believe that Trump could get Colbert fired and not crow about it? That he wouldn't be saying how he personally had Colbert canned in the greatest negotiation in the history of broadcast TV?
You're so credulous when it comes to anything conservatively coded.
 

fskimospy

Elite Member
Mar 10, 2006
87,674
54,669
136
I don't know what the budgets of those shows are or what revenue they generate.
It's very possible Trump told Paramount to can Colbert if they wanted their other deal to be approved. Paramount had two choices if that happened, capitulate or go public and take it to court. If Colbert was a money maker wouldn't dumping him reduce there leverage in the merger and make a fight worth while? Whereas if the show is a looser and they dump it that improves their financial standing. The only other piece of information that hasn't been considered is Trump himself. Do you believe that Trump could get Colbert fired and not crow about it? That he wouldn't be saying how he personally had Colbert canned in the greatest negotiation in the history of broadcast TV?
How can you be this ignorant of how the world works?

The deal was ‘do what Trump wants or he obstructs the merger’. Leverage in a merger doesn’t matter if the merger doesn’t happen.

This is common sense.