"The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" will air a live one-hour episode immediately following Super Bowl 50, CBS announced Tuesday morning. It is the first late night show to air in the coveted post-Super Bowl time slot.
The post-Super Bowl time slot boats record ratings for the shows lucky enough to land the best time slot of the year. CBS usually has the best luck in the slot. "Survivor" and "Undercover Boss" all performed as two of the best of the 21st century, but nothing can beat the 1996 episode of "Friends" called "The One After the Super Bowl," according to The Hollywood Reporter. The special one-hour episode still holds the record for the most-watched post-Super Bowl show with an incredible 52.9 million viewers.
NBC gave its flagship late-night show "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" a special Super Bowl push last year by airing an episode live from Pheonix, but the show was not on directly after the biggest football game of the year. That honor went to James Spader's "The Blacklist," which was watched by 26.5 million viewers. "The Tonight Show" aired after "The Blacklist" and the local news, according to Deadline.
Colbert will not be on site after the game in Santa Clara, Calif., but the show will broadcast live from "The Late Show's" home at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City. It will be followed by a special edition of "The Late Late Show with James Corden."
"It's been a very big year in late night at CBS," said Glenn Geller, President, CBS Entertainment. "We're extremely proud of our two new late night franchises, and we're thrilled to give Stephen and James this big Super Bowl Sunday showcase."
This will be CBS' 19th Super Bowl broadcast.
