Jon Stewart will remain at the helm of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” through December 2028, extending his once-a-week hosting role through the next presidential election. Skydance announced the two-year extension on Monday, resolving uncertainty about Stewart’s contract, which was due to expire in December. The new deal means one of television’s most prominent critics of U.S. President Donald Trump is staying in place for the rest of Trump’s term. Stewart will continue hosting on Monday nights, an arrangement in place since January 2024, and serving as executive producer of the series. The satirical newscast’s correspondents “will continue to share hosting duties Tuesday – Thursday,” Skydance said. The agreement is Stewart’s longest extension since returning to the program, following two successive one-year renewals. And it is one of the first major programming announcements from the newly enlarged Skydance, which was formed earlier this month when Paramount Skydance acquired Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN’s parent company. “Jon Stewart is a generational talent and The Daily Show continues to be one of the most influential franchises on television and a cornerstone of Comedy Central,” George Cheeks, Skydance TV’s co-chair and chief content officer, said in a statement. “We are excited to continue our partnership with Jon and his award winning news team.” The decision to keep Stewart comes amid financial and political scrutiny of late-night television — including last year’s decision by Paramount’s prior management to cancel “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” Stewart was an executive producer of his friend Colbert’s show and harshly criticized the cancellation, rejecting Paramount’s financial justification and accusing the company of bending the knee to the president. Viewers wondered at the time if Stewart might be next to be canceled, especially given Skydance chief David Ellison’s efforts to establish close ties with the Trump administration. Ellison hosted a dinner honoring the president earlier this year, and after the Warner merger closed, Trump praised Ellison and his father, billionaire Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, as “terrific people.” When Ellison was asked about Trump after the merger took effect, Ellison emphasized that his company had relationships with politicians from both parties in the US. “It’s important to talk to everyone on both sides of the aisle,” he said. “We don’t want to politicize.” Stewart originally left “The Daily Show” in 2015, handing the program to Trevor Noah, who departed in December 2022. Stewart’s 2024 return brought a familiar face back to the franchise during that presidential election cycle, and this new agreement keeps him in place through the next one. Liam Reilly, Brian Stelter, CNN
