Adam Sandler, Anderson Cooper, Jon Stewart, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, John Oliver and Andy Cohen were among those who made surprise appearances on Monday's episode after CBS announced that the late night show would be ending in May 2026.

On Monday, July 21, Letterman’s official YouTube channel uploaded a compilation video of clips from various “Late Show With David Letterman” shows dating as far back as 1994. The clips all had one thing in common: Letterman threw shade at CBS in each of them.

On July 17, CBS News announced it will cancel "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert " in May 2026, in what was described as a purely financial decision unrelated to the show's content. President Donald Trump - whom Colbert frequently skewers in monologues - quickly weighed in on the decision.