Byron Allen Says He'll Save CBS at Least $150 Million Taking Over Colbert's 'Late Show' Slot: 'A Great Deal'

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Byron Allen is getting ready for his close up, as the affiliate TV station owner and comedian’s “Comics Unleashed” prepares to take over the time slot of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” next week.

Beginning May 22, the show will air with back-to-back half-hour episodes from 11:35 PM-12:37 AM, ET/PT on CBS. Paramount+ Premium subscribers can also stream the show live via the feed of their local CBS affiliate on the service. Meanwhile, Allen Media Group’s “Funny You Should Ask,” a comedy game show hosted by Jon Kelley, will have back-to-back half-hour episodes from 12:37-1:37 AM, ET/PT.

Allen told TheWrap that while he was surprised by CBS’ decision to cancel Colbert, he saw an opportunity to grow the “Comics Unleashed” audience while helping the Paramount-owned network cut costs. The David Ellison-led media giant is targeting at least $3 billion in cost savings.

“Between the two time periods, they’re saving approximately $150 million+ per year, just on production and marketing,” he said. “That does not include what I’m paying [for the time slot]. So it’s a great deal for CBS.”

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/tv/articles/byron-allen-says-ll-save-202106102.html

Does this guy seriously think the audience gives a shit how much he's saving See BS? If his show is not entertaining no one will watch it.

Colbert was on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, so he already had a following. Byron Allen I'm told was on "Real People" which ran in the late 1970s for a few episodes. Otherwise, I never heard of the guy.

[videohead5]

1. I'll be watching Kimmel

Will never watch CBS again.

[Wuddles440]

21. Same!

[Emile]

25. Same

[Trueblue1968]

29. I will watch Kimmel also

[lame54]

2. Won't be renewing my auto record

[RedWhiteBlueIsRacist]

3. Wow, maybe with saving all that money, CBS could afford another eye.

[highplainsdem]

4. Not a great deal for viewers.

[hlthe2b]

5. Saving CBS all that money with NO ONE watching and you, BYRON will be GONE--

thereby saving CBS EVEN MORE $$$ until the network dies. Good deal, Byron?

[MurrayDelph]

8. As long as Byron Allen's money holds out

CBS makes money. He bought the airtime and gets whatever money the commercials bring in.

[hlthe2b]

11. Ad buyers don't like shows without "eyeballs," so don't bet the farm on THAT...

I have never found him to be talented and I'd bet even those who do, may hold a grudge against CBS.

[MurrayDelph]

14. I've found his show to be

an unfunny ripoff of "Alan Davies As Yet Untitled" and Paul Provenza's "The Green Room."

I have friends who are (or have written for) professional comedians. To date, I have never heard of any of the guests on Allen's show (which the DVR thankfully cuts off after the opening titles).

CBS, who only own about 10 stations in the US get their money upfront; is the affiliates who will suffer. But since one of the largest affiliates is Sinclair, I'm ok with that.

The situation is akin to when I saw Elayne Boosler, Roger & Roger, and The Unknown Comic in Las Vegas back around 1980, at The Landmark (before the Martians blew it up). Murray Langston (aka The Unknown Comic) rented the showroom, paid the other comedians, the stage crew, and the advertising. Langston got the ticket money. If nobody showed up, the only big to the casino was the salary of the cocktail waitress (drinks were not included in the ticket price).

At that show, my friends and I sat front row center, and saw Elayne (who killed), Roger & Roger (who killed), The Unknown Comic (who didn't kill), and a couple of cockroaches (whom I killed; I tell you the Martians did us a favor).
.

[clevergrrrl]

16. He's a billionaire with his own media properties

It's the only reason he's on the air.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

6. No one is going to watch this idiot

Byron Williams is an idiot

[spanone]

7. Was this guy ever funny?

[LuvLoogie]

32. Still waiting...

[City Lights]

9. With no viewers nor advertisers.

Yeah, great deal.

[Vinca]

10. Byron who?

[CanonRay]

12. A third rate right wing hack.

[HAB911]

13. Byron Allen's Ownership Portfolio

(understand after Colbert, CBS will be locked out of my DVR)

Television Networks: Allen Media Group owns ten television networks, including:
The Weather Channel
Comedy.TV
Cars.TV
JusticeCentral.TV
Pets.TV
Recipe.TV
Local Now
TheGrio

Real Estate Holdings
Allen's real estate portfolio is extensive and includes luxury properties in several prime locations:

Location Property Type Notable Features
Malibu Luxury Mansion Purchased for $100 million
Manhattan Full-Floor Apartment Sold for $82.5 million in 2025
Maui Oceanfront Estate 7,300 square feet, five bedrooms, beachfront access
Beverly Hills Two-Home Compound Acquired for $22 million

[PeaceWave]

22. Sold a Manhattan apartment for $82.5 million after Mamdani launched his campaign but before he took office...

...thus avoiding Mamdani’s pied-à-terre property tax. Billionaires being billionaires.

[clevergrrrl]

15. If AI slop were a person it would Byron Allen

Unfunny mediocrity. His style is 1970s humor with all the sexism, racism and misogyny that entails. His game shows are just garbage. Washed up old comedians he hires to tell unfunny jokes to canned laughter. The thing that most people don't know about him is that he is a billionaire and owns his own media company.

[newdeal2]

17. His show sucks but save the hate for Paramount and Ellison

They’re the ones who did this to Colbert.

[Ritabert]

18. "Comics Unleashed" isn't funny. CBS won't have any viewers.

[PeaceWave]

19. Byron Allen is a great businessman. But, he has no idea the shit storm he is stepping into.

[Initech]

20. Hey Byron fuck you and your deal!

[pecosbob]

23. Well, that won't look good on his resume.

[GoodRaisin]

24. How much will he save when nobody watches it?

[Kablooie]

26. His company partners with Fox and Sinclair.

Of course.
The MAGA version of a comedian.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

27. You get what you pay for.

[no_hypocrisy]

28. Kinda reminds me of FOX's hair-brained scheme to compete with

Johnny Carson and The Tonight Show by putting on against TTS its own late-night show with Joan Rivers.

How did that work out:

Rivers' ratings sank quickly.

Depressed for being seen as a failure, Rivers' husband committed suicide.

Rivers not only lost her lifetime friendship with Johnny Carson, who felt betrayed, but he hated her.

Rivers lost a majority of her Q Factor and wasn't seen as positively in her prior career, and never regained it.

[oasis]

33. Joan Rivers' popularity took a humongous slide.

karma was working overtime on her ass.

[Wednesdays]

30. When Colbert's protege Taylor Tomlinson was on in the 12:30 a.m. slot

...with her show, "After Midnight," I'd sometimes watch because it was halfway decent.

But after she quit, I stopped watching that timeslot. I wish no ill will on Byron Allen, but I find him very dull and his guests are third-rate comedians.

After May 21, I'm forever tuning in to ABC after local news.

[LuvLoogie]

31. Byron Allen?

They couldn't get a few Schecky Greene archives?

[flvegan]

34. Will also save a lot of folks from experiencing laughter, enjoyment. n/t

[B.See]

35. Happened to catch his show once

and wasn't impressed. No reflection on Allen because I know nothing of his politics and think he's being used as a pawn in a much larger reich-wing effort to seize control of the media. So I won't be watching either.