The surprise cancellation of The Late Show is just the latest blow to the genre.

Late-evening TV viewership has also shifted in recent years. Local news, which typically airs at 11 p.m. in most markets except the central time zone, has been losing ground as viewers shift to digital for information about what’s going on, which has, in turn, affected the number of people who stick around to catch late-night comedy shows.

Byron Allen may have the last laugh when it comes to late-night television on CBS. As the network exits the world of late-night with the cancelation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, which is ending in May,

Late night was once such a vital and lucrative jewel in a network’s crown that bidding wars would erupt to get the best and most gorgeous guy for the 11:30 p.m. slot. Now things are grave. Nobody’s watching nothing no more, and advertisers are taking note. Late night is just YouTube, and YouTube doesn’t have a pay-or-play contract.

CBS’ decision to cut ties with Stephen Colbert and its decades-old “Late Show” franchise come next May will leave a major hole in the format — but one that has been widening. TV networks have been cutting costs at their late-night mainstays for the past few years.

The shocking cancellation of Late Show With Stephen Colbert raises questions about the Paramount merger and Trump's influence.