Colbert to YouTube? Inside His Cancellation

July 24, 2025

Welcome to Created, the newsletter that loves you more than a CEO at a Coldplay concert. Here’s what we got today:

How Colbert's Cancellation Will Change YouTube

Stephen Colbert had late night’s top-rated show. This week, CBS announced it’s cancelling it. Ouch.

Yes, this accelerated the inevitable: late night was already dying. But here’s where it gets interesting…

Colbert’s next move could change YouTube. Here’s why.

Surprise, You're Fired

We’re not here to talk politics, but to catch you up:

Colbert’s cancellation came after CBS paid $16M to settle with Donald Trump over a 60 Minutes interview, which airs on same network.
Paramount (CBS' parent company) is seeking a massive merger with Skydance, which needs Trump's approval. Axing Colbert is rumored to help curry favor.
CBS isn't replacing Colbert. They're cancelling the entire Late Night Show franchise. 32 years of history. Gone.

But Here's The Thing

Colbert has 10 months before he’s off the air. 10 frickin’ months.

His popularity will only surge just like Conan O’Brien’s did during his late night controversy.

Imagine the exit opportunities.

Streaming platforms will come calling. But if you’re Colbert, you’ll likely take your popularity straight to…you guessed it, YouTube. Where nobody can cancel you.

And where your massive library of late night clips will recommend any new channel you start (since CBS likely won’t let Colbert keep his current channel).

Colbert Isn't Alone

He wouldn’t be the first to go from TV to YouTube:

But Colbert is the whale. The biggest name with the biggest show.

His move to YouTube after Late Night could mean CBS, NBC, and ABC will re-think their other productions, too.

Now The Kicker

The big spenders on those TV networks like P&G, Unilever, and L’Oréal will bring even more dollars over to YouTube following Colbert’s exit.

Sure, brands look at data. But legacy and perception still matter. A lot. And nobody carries that more than Colbert.

Show Me The Money

The Late Show burns $100M per year.

Compare that to interview shows on YouTube like Hot Ones or Chicken Shop Date, which rack up over 1.5M views per episode yet spend only $6K per episode.

Sure, it’s not the same production value. But you can’t beat the math:

Lower cost + higher popularity + more creative freedom = new era for Colbert (and YouTube) post cancellation.

CBS may have just dug its own grave.

Vsauce Returns: Inside His $12M Science Empire

After years away from YouTube, Vsauce just made a surprise return.

Last week, Michael Stevens (the host of Vsauce) dropped his first full-length video in 3 years.

But here’s the thing: although he’s been absent from YouTube, he never stopped building.

Enter: The Curiosity Box

While Vsauce only posted 8 videos in the past 5 years — behind the scenes, he was focused on something else: The Curiosity Box, a STEM subscription service launched in 2016.

By 2022, it had:

Recently, Vsauce’s Curiosity Box got acquired for $12M by MEL Science.

Goodbye, Algorithm

Having a subscription business may have been one of the big reasons Vsauce was able to take such a long hiatus.

He wasn’t a slave to the algorithm. He could take time off and come back when he wanted. Which is exactly what he did.

Jake Roper, host of the spin-off channel Vsauce3 and Curiosity Box COO, said it up best:

“It wasn’t just, ‘Oh, it’s for your own audience.’ No, this is a real business. We built something. Creators do create actual businesses.”

Our Take

Vsauce’s Curiosity Box laid the foundation for today’s creator brands like Feastables, Prime, Crunch Labs, and more.

Back in 2016, however, launching a product line as a YouTuber was rare. Especially for an education channel. But Vsauce showed it was possible.

Now with his recent upload, it’s unclear whether Vsauce will keep posting to YouTube.

But truth is, he no longer has to.

🎯 Weekly Roundup: Thumbnails

Why we love these YT thumbnails:

1. Wired-up runner + “Superhuman Speed” text makes you wonder what this device actually does (Chris Howett)
2. 2.5-second pit stop with frozen red figures instantly grab your attention (neo)
3. Gowing heatmap + “Ghost Continent” label taps into mystery and discovery (BRIGHT SIDE)
4. Before/After contrast + mysterious cleanup machine makes you want to see how it works (Planet Wild)

🚀 Weekly Outlier

This video by AI In Context has 1.2M views, which is 67 times higher than the channel’s average. Here’s why it took off:

🏆 The Created Referral Program

Know someone who’d also love this newsletter? Refer them and get gifts.

Refer 1 friend: you’ll get my Infinite Ideas book. It’s my 8 best tips to find viral ideas for your next upload.

Refer 5 friends: you’ll get my Top 50 Thumbnails book. It includes a detailed breakdown of why they work so you improve your packaging.

Trust me, these books are packed with more tips than most paid courses.

Copy this unique link and email, text, or post it: [RH_REFLINK GOES HERE]

👋 See You Inside

Join our Discord of 5,700 creators who help each other grow and give feedback on your ideas, videos, and thumbnails. Totally free.

Nothing great is created alone.

– Jon

Want to advertise with us? Go here.

Was this email forwarded to you? Join here.

Have a tip or story we should cover? Submit here.