Colbert says network lawyers pressured him not to air it. CBS says that’s not true. Meanwhile, the political backdrop is anything but quiet — from corporate mergers to renewed “equal time” scrutiny from the FCC. And here’s the twist: Talarico’s campaign reportedly raised $2.5 million in the fallout. A segment that never aired on television just became one of the most-watched political interviews online. So what was said that sparked 85 million views — and a network standoff?

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20/02/2026

After Colbert-CBS Rift, Interview With Texas Senate Candidate James Talarico Draws 85M Views Across YouTube & Social

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and guest Rep. James Talarico during Monday’s February 16, 2026 show.
Stephen Colbert and guest Rep. James TalaricoScott Kowalchyk/CBS

EXCLUSIVE – An interview by Stephen Colbert with U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico intended for broadcast on CBS but instead posted only online has now drawn 85 million views across YouTube and social media.

Stats on online viewing were provided to Deadline by measurement firm Tubular Labs. Over the past 72 hours, the company said, 1,320 video uploads featuring Colbert and Talarico have been registered across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook. The videos have generated more than 8 million engagements, with the 85 million figure stemming from any viewing session lasting at least two seconds.

The most-watched individual clip, notably, is the full 15-minute interview. It has collected more than 7.5 million views, more than twice the daily average viewing level of Colbert’s YouTube channel.

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On YouTube, Colbert’s own page has accounted for 39% of views related to the interview. On TikTok, where the show leaned into promotion, the share hit 53%.

On Tuesday, Colbert voiced objections to what he says was pressure by CBS lawyers to not air the interview with Talarico, who is running in the Democratic Senate primary in Texas. Network lawyers later insisted that they had not told Colbert he couldn’t air the segment.

The backdrop of the clash is a series of moves by CBS parent Paramount, which paid a settlement to President Trump last summer to resolve a lawsuit he had filed over a 60 Minutes segment. Legal analysts unanimously felt there was no merit to the suit. Soon after the $16 million settlement was paid, the merger of Skydance and Paramount gained approval from federal regulators. Paramount is now battling to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery and a similar regulatory dance is under way as the media company looks to elbow out Netflix, which has an accepted offer in palce.

Pressure is also mounting on talk shows in multiple dayparts to adhere to long-un-enforced federal rules stipulating “equal time” between political parties featured on the public airwaves. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has made the rule a key priority, confirming this week that an enforcement action is underway at ABC’s The View. NBC also drew criticism from Carr in the fall of 2024 (before he became commissioner of the FCC) over a sketch featuring Kamala Harris on Saturday Night Live.

Along with the groundswell of online viewing, Talarico’s campaign raised $2.5 million in the wake of the clash between Colbert and CBS.