Colbert signage comes down at Ed Sullivan Theater as landmark enters new chapter

More than four months after Stephen Colbert signed off from “The Late Show,” one of the most visible reminders of his tenure has disappeared from the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York.

Crews removed “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” branding from the theater’s Broadway marquee Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026, replacing it with a blue-and-gold sign simply identifying the building as the “Ed Sullivan Theater” alongside the CBS logo. 

The new signs make use of Didot, the used in the “classic” CBS and CBS News logos.

In a video posted by USA Today, crews can be seen removing Colbert’s branding from the street-facing and south facade.

The large vertical “Colbert” letters running up the side of the building remained in place as of Wednesday, as did some “Late Show” branding on the north side of the marquee, which was obscured by scaffolding.

The changes come after Colbert hosted the final edition of “The Late Show” May 21, 2026, ending his nearly 11-year run and bringing CBS’ 33-year “Late Show” franchise to a close. David Letterman originated the CBS program from the same theater in 1993 and remained there until his retirement in 2015. 

The Colbert-branded exterior marquee panels removed this week are reportedly headed to the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago.

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The exterior sign being removed should not be confused with the large illuminated “Late Show” sign that hung inside Colbert’s set.

That interior sign, measuring about 12 feet by 8 1/2 feet, was auctioned during Colbert’s final season as part of a fundraiser for World Central Kitchen. WeHo Bistro owner Jeff Douek purchased it for $102,100 and had it transported from New York to West Hollywood, California. After initially being displayed on the restaurant’s roof, it was moved inside for permanent display. 

Other pieces of the show have been preserved. Colbert donated much of his set to the Museum of Broadcast Communications, including his desk, backdrop, carpet, guest chair and recreated architectural elements from the theater. The collection is being incorporated into an exhibit.

What the exterior of the Ed Sullivan Theater looked like prior to the Colbert branding being removed.

The removal of the marquee also leaves the Ed Sullivan Theater without a regular television production for the first time in more than three decades, adding another transition to a building whose entertainment history predates television itself. 

The theater opened in 1927 as Hammerstein’s Theatre, built by producer Arthur Hammerstein in honor of his father, theatrical impresario Oscar Hammerstein I.

Architect Herbert J. Krapp designed the venue with a Gothic-inspired auditorium that included stained glass and a domed ceiling. After its original theatrical operation struggled during the Depression, the building was used for stage productions, a music hall and nightclub. 

CBS entered the picture in 1936, signing a long-term lease and converting the building for radio broadcasting. The network converted it for television in 1950 and called it CBS-TV Studio 50.

“The Ed Sullivan Show,” which had premiered elsewhere as “Toast of the Town” in 1948, moved into Studio 50 in 1953. It remained there until its cancellation in 1971. CBS renamed the facility the Ed Sullivan Theater in 1967 to mark Sullivan’s 20th year on television. 

The Sullivan years helped turn the building into a television landmark. Elvis Presley appeared there during his appearances on Sullivan’s program, while The Beatles played the theater during their first live U.S. television appearance Feb. 9, 196, according to EdSullivan.com.

Studio 50 was hardly limited to Sullivan. Over the years, the building housed productions including “The Jackie Gleason Show,” “The Merv Griffin Show,” “What’s My Line?,” “Password,” “To Tell the Truth” and “Candid Camera.” Game shows continued using the facility in the 1970s, while the sitcom “Kate & Allie” was produced there from 1984 to 1989.

CBS’s original lease expired in 1981, and Reeves Entertainment subsequently operated the facility. The building even briefly returned to live theatrical use in 1992 with the musical “Dreamtime.” 

CBS returned in a much more permanent way in 1993 when it purchased the theater and adjoining office building as part of its effort to bring Letterman from NBC and keep his new late-night program in New York. The network paid about $4 million and extensively renovated the theater for “Late Show with David Letterman,” which premiered Aug. 30, 1993.

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When Colbert succeeded Letterman in 2015, CBS renovated the building again. Work uncovered and restored architectural features that had been hidden during previous television conversions, including the auditorium’s dome, stained-glass elements and a historic chandelier. 

Paramount has not announced a new regular tenant for the Ed Sullivan Theater. The building remains configured as a television production facility, though its future could include another television production or a return to theatrical use.