Byron Allen Officially Takes Over Stephen Colbert’s CBS Slot Following “The Late Show” Exit

Byron Allen spent years saying he wanted late night, and now he’s stepping into it at the exact moment the seat opens up.

Starting May 22, CBS will move “Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen” into the 11:35 p.m. slot immediately after Stephen Colbert signs off for the final time. His game show Funny You Should Ask will follow at midnight, giving Allen back-to-back control of the network’s late-night block.

According to CNN, that placement puts Allen’s programming in both hours that defined CBS late night for years. Not a guest appearance, not a trial run. Full control of the window.

What makes the timing sharper is what Allen just came out of. Less than a year ago, he settled a $10 billion racial discrimination lawsuit against McDonald’s. The case accused the company of excluding Black-owned media from its main advertising budget while treating Allen Media Group as if it only reached Black audiences.

As reported by Reuters, Allen’s complaint said his outlets were placed in a “de minimis” category instead of being included in broader national ad buys, despite owning properties like The Weather Channel and TheGrio. The case was set for trial before both sides reached a confidential agreement, with McDonald’s agreeing to buy ads “at market value.”

McDonald’s denied wrongdoing. Allen’s side responded, “we acknowledge McDonald’s commitment to investing in Black-owned media properties and increasing access to opportunity. Our differences are behind us.”

Still, Allen had already made his intentions clear long before any settlement. When CBS announced in 2025 that “The Late Show” would end, he didn’t wait to be asked. “Let me be clear … if they are looking for a show, my hand is already up,” he said. “Fifty years I have been waiting for this moment, definitely I am going for it.”

That quote lands different now because this isn’t a surprise opportunity. He called it, publicly, while the slot was still occupied.

Allen’s rise also doesn’t follow the usual late-night path. He started doing stand-up at 14 and became the youngest comedian to perform on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson at 18. Decades later, he built Allen Media Group into a multibillion-dollar portfolio by buying assets other companies overlooked, then scaling them quietly.

So when this opening appeared, he wasn’t auditioning. He was positioned.

Now he’s not just part of late night. He’s programming it.