Stephen Colbert’s Exciting New YouTube Venture: Far Beyond CBS’s Constraints!

Stephen Colbert has hinted at his future endeavors following his departure from CBS’s Late Show. Concurrently, CBS has confirmed their involvement in Colbert’s Michigan public access special on May 22, right after the iconic late-night show concluded.

Amidst the swift digital judgments we’ve grown accustomed to, a virtual uproar occurred this weekend. Reports surfaced that CBS Studios, owned by David Ellison, were issuing takedown notices against viewers of the modestly produced Only in Monroe episode that Colbert hosted in Michigan the day following his final Last Show, which drew a huge audience.

However, that’s not the case.

Indeed, CBS did issue takedown notices earlier today. But they are not attempting to suppress Only in Monroe. They actually funded it.

CBS, like any other company, was initially protecting its intellectual property from unauthorized use — until they decided to back down from this approach.

“The Only in Monroe episode featuring Stephen Colbert was financed by CBS Studios and released on Stephen Colbert’s YouTube channel in partnership with Monroe Community Media and The Late Show‘s YouTube channels,” explained a CBS spokesperson late Sunday amid online accusations of censorship. “We typically issue copyright notices to unauthorized sites that share our copyrighted content, including material featuring our network and studio talent such as Stephen Colbert. For this episode, we have chosen to suspend this usual practice for further review.”

Essentially, CBS, which is still funding projects, is making a defiant gesture towards the critics who have been criticizing the network and Colbert himself since the controversial end of the Late Show last year. Was the cancellation in July 2025 due to high production costs in a declining late-night sector, or was it because Colbert mocked CBS and Donald Trump over a dubious $16 million legal settlement related to a 60 Minutes lawsuit?

Well, you can judge for yourself.

Amid all the speculation about Colbert’s future endeavors beyond writing a new Lord of the Rings movie script, it’s clear that his next steps are likely to be online.

As of now, the only video on Colbert’s newly launched personal YouTube channel from April 21 is the Only in Monroe video. It’s a safe bet that this won’t be the only content as Colbert appears set to join other comedians and creators in leveraging YouTube’s massive audience.

It’s a fact that YouTube surpasses network TV and streaming services in viewership.

Additionally, with YouTube’s plans to host the Oscars starting in 2029, the Google-owned platform is clearly aiming to enhance its content offerings by adding more top-tier television talent to its lineup.

With the backing of Ellison’s CBS for significant funding, Only in Monroe represents both a strategic reset and a continuation for Colbert. This special, featuring Jack White, Eminem, Steve Buscemi, and Jeff Daniels, reflects back to Colbert’s first public access appearance in Michigan during the early days of his Late Show tenure in September 2015. In just two days, this special has garnered 409,000 views, and Colbert’s YouTube channel now boasts 80,500 subscribers—a stark contrast to the figures from sites CBS has been trying to pull from YouTube.

Last week on the minimalist set of Only in Monroe, Colbert explained his presence and took a jab at Paramount (soon expected to acquire Warner Bros Discovery for $111 billion in a deal expedited by the Trump administration). “I’ve been off TV for an agonizing 23 hours, so I’m thankful to be here on Monroe Community Media before they possibly get snapped up by Paramount,” he quipped.

He omitted the fact that Paramount and CBS funded this transitional episode, but then again, that’s show business for you.