For the first time in television history, the Super Bowl will be followed by a late-night talk show. And who’s talk show has the honor for the event’s 50th year? Why, it’s Stephen Colbert! CBS announced via press release that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will air directly after the Super Bowl on Sunday, February 7, at approximately 10 p.m. EST (depending on if the game goes into overtime).
Last year, NBC’s The Blacklist received the post-Super Bowl spot, while 2014 featured Fox’s New Girl and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, 2013 saw CBS’ Elementary, and NBC’s The Voice snagged it in 2012. This year, James Corden is also a winner. The network will follow Colbert with some local news and then introduce a special edition of The Late Late Show at approximately 11:35 p.m. EST.
Since uprooted from Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report to fill David Letterman’s shoes, Colbert has helped increase his audience to encompass 3.29 million viewers. Compared to last year, that’s more than 20% in growth. According to the press release, the show has also grown more than 2,100% in terms of full episode streams on CBS.com and CBS apps. You can chalk it up to the funny man’s unique sensibilities. You didn’t see Letterman acting out a spoof Candy Crush: The Movie with action movie star Liam Neeson.
Watch the clip from the most recent episode below.
This could very well be the show’s biggest viewer turnout, and maybe Colbert will get enough money from it to actually make a Candy Crush movie. (If Angry Birds and Battleship can, why not one of the most popular smartphone games of all time?) Now all we need is a kick-ass half-time performer — someone who can top Katy Perry’s dancing shark-filled stage of last year — and this could be one of the most entertaining Super Bowls of all time, regardless of the actual football.
