Byron Allen is bringing comedic talents and business acumen to CBS.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Comics Unleashed With Byron Allen will take over the 11:35 p.m. slot beginning May 22. The Late Show will officially sign off on May 21. After Comics Unleashed, Funny You Should Ask, another Allen-produced series, will air at 12:35 a.m.
Comics Unleashed began airing at 12:35 a.m. this season. The show also aired there during the 2023 writers and actors’ strikes.
Per the terms of the deal, “Allen’s company pays the network for the slot and sells the advertising themselves. CBS will profit no matter if the show performs will or not.
In a statement, Allen expressed his gratitude to CBS for the opportunity.
“I created and launched Comics Unleashed 20 years ago so my fellow comedians could have a platform to do what we all love—make people laugh,” Allen said.”Because the world can never have enough laughter.”
Back in October, Allen told Variety that he would love to take over the spot when the “Late Show” ends.
“If they’re looking for a show, my hand is already up,” said Allen. Fifty years, I’ve been waiting for this moment. Definitely, I’m going for it.”
Allen, who began as a teenage stand-up comedian, is now a multi-billion-dollar media mogul. After gaining early fame on NBC’s Real People, Allen founded Allen Media Group (formerly Entertainment Studios) in 1993 in his dining room. He revolutionized the syndication market with a “barter” business model, providing content to networks for free in exchange for half of the advertising inventory. Allen’s idea paid off as he accumulated amassive portfolio of approximately 70 television shows.
In 2018, Allen Media Group acquired The Weather Channel for $300 million.
“I always figured it wasn’t show business, it was business show,” he explained. “I always focused on the business side.”