A new report from Puck's Matt Belloni is shedding light on the finances that led to CBS' bombshell cancellation of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert."

The state of late-night TV is keeping media executives from sleeping well. 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.

“CBS canceled Colbert’s show just THREE DAYS after Colbert called out CBS parent company Paramount for its $16M settlement with Trump – a deal that looks like bribery,” Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote on X. “America deserves to know if his show was canceled for political reasons.”

Colbert notably clowned Paramount and described the settlement as a “big fat bribe” on Monday’s show, jokes that sparked speculation that the program’s cancellation was politically motivated and led the show’s union to call for an investigation into CBS’ decision.

Stephen Colbert's friends and colleagues are in shock at The Late Show's surprise cancellation.

President Donald Trump was gleeful over Stephen Colbert's cancellation, saying his "talent was even less than his ratings" on Truth Social.

Colbert followed “The Daily Show” host Jon Stewart’s attack of the deal one week earlier. Stewart works for Comedy Central, also owned by Paramount, making the two comics the most visible internal critics of the $16 million settlement that was announced on July 1.

Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart slammed Paramount for making a deal with Trump, serving notice they won't be silenced by their parent company.