Jon Stewart Renews The Daily Show Contract Amid Paramount Ownership Change

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Now that Paramount has new owners, the future of Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show is clear. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert was recently canceled and will finish its run in May 2026. Because both shows are on Paramount networks, many people wondered if Stewart’s show would also be cut after the surprising announcement about Colbert.

Comedy Central has renewed Jon Stewart’s contract for The Daily Show for another year, extending it through December 2026. His previous contract was set to expire in December 2025.

The comedian will keep hosting the show on Mondays. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, Desi Lydic, Jordan Klepper, Ronny Chieng, Michael Kosta, and Josh Johnson – all correspondents from The Daily Show – will take turns hosting. Stewart will also continue to work behind the scenes as an executive producer.

I remember when Jon Stewart took the reins at The Daily Show in ’99 – it quickly became the place to get your satirical news fix, especially during the 2000 election. When he stepped down, Trevor Noah had big shoes to fill, and while he did his best, the show really struggled after his unexpected announcement that he was leaving in 2022. It felt like a real turning point for the program.

Several guest hosts auditioned for the job, including well-known comedians Chelsea Handler and Leslie Jones. While Hasan Minhaj was a strong contender, concerns arose regarding some material from his stand-up shows. This led Comedy Central to restart their search, ultimately bringing Jon Stewart back to host on Monday nights.

With Paramount merging with Skydance, led by David Ellison, there were concerns about the future of Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart’s jobs at the company.

Following the cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s show (with some accusing Paramount of giving in to political pressure, though the network said it was a financial choice), Jon Stewart publicly disagreed with his employer and criticized Disney for suspending Jimmy Kimmel.

After Jimmy Kimmel made comments about the person who attacked Charlie Kirk, Disney briefly suspended him. This led to threats from the FCC chair to revoke ABC’s broadcasting license, and two major broadcasters, Nexstar and Sinclair, stopped airing Jimmy Kimmel Live. Facing significant public criticism, Disney brought Kimmel back, and he returned with a strong statement defending free speech.

When Jimmy Kimmel briefly stopped broadcasting, concerns about what would happen to Jon Stewart increased, and it appeared the future of The Daily Show was uncertain.

Recently, there’s been some good news regarding The Daily Show. Stewart announced he’s discussing continuing as host, and Paramount recently highlighted the show’s consistently strong viewership in a press release.

This September, The Daily Show was up for an Emmy for Outstanding Talk Series, but The Late Show with Stephen Colbert won. Overall, The Daily Show received 12 Emmy nominations this year, recognizing its work in areas like production design, directing, editing, sound mixing, and writing.

Trevor Noah will continue hosting The Daily Show on Monday nights for at least another year. While people will probably start wondering about his long-term future with the show again next fall, fans can be happy knowing he’ll be leading the program through the 2026 midterm elections.

The Daily Show airs weeknights at 11 p.m. EST on Comedy Central.

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2025-11-04 00:28