Jon Stewart Addresses The Daily Show Cancellation News – And It Doesn’t Look Good.
Jon Stewart has commented on the future of his storied comedy news program, The Daily Show, as Skydance, the American media conglomerate, is in the process of acquiring the property. Skydance announced plans to purchase Paramount Global on July 7, which is the parent company of Comedy Central, and the home of The Daily Show and South Park, among other properties and networks under the Paramount umbrella.
Stewart, on his podcast The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart, commented on the future of The Daily Show following the announcement of the Skydance merger:
Unfortunately, we haven’t heard anything from them. They haven’t called me and said like, ‘Don’t get too comfortable in that office, Stewart.’ But let me tell you something, I’ve been kicked out of s******r establishments than that. We’ll land on our feet.
What Jon Stewart’s Comments Mean About The Future Of The Daily Show
Nothing Guaranteed, But Recent Events Cast Doubt On Its Future
Despite its 12 nominations at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards, The Daily Show has been under fire due to its coverage of President Donald Trump. Stewart, who returned to the program in 2024, was a vocal critic of Trump throughout the 2024 election, and has maintained this criticism throughout the first months of his second term.
In addition to the Trump coverage, Jon Stewart has been a loud critic of the recently settled Paramount Global $16 million lawsuit brought by the President over a 60 Minutes interview that aired with Kamala Harris. Stewart seemed less than certain of the show’s future, in spite of The Daily Show‘s recent major success in the ratings.
I’d like to believe that without The Daily Show… I don’t know. Comedy Central is kind of like muzak at this point. I think we’re the only sort of life that exists on a current basis other than South Park. But it’s the only thing on there. I’d like to think we bring enough value to the property. If they’re looking at it as purely a real estate transaction, I think we bring a lot of value. But that may not be their consideration. They may sell the whole f****** place for parts, I just don’t know. We’ll deal with it when we do.
Our Take On The Potential Cancellation Of The Daily Show
We’re Hoping It’s Not True, But It Doesn’t Look Good Right Now
While Jon Stewart didn’t explicitly express a known or implied cancellation, it’s clear that he is already considering what would happen next, if the show was axed after the merger. His comments are clearly skewing negative, and his comments are enough to strike fear in the hearts of fans. The Daily Show is a marketable property, however, and the idea of it moving to another network or a streaming platform is highly likely. Stewart’s comments about ‘landing on our feet’ lend credence to this, suggesting that he thinks that the show will either be successful enough to continue, or find another home elsewhere.
A Skydance cancellation could bring unintended consequences that allow the show to elevate past its current place in the field. A move to Netflix or Peacock could bring additional added bonuses and viewers to an already popular program, now without restrictions. In a landscape where streaming services are able to boost the popularity of shows to a huge degree (like the recent success of the CW’s Sullivan’s Crossing after its release on Netflix), a cancellation may even be a blessing in disguise for The Daily Show.
