"Netflix, call me. I'm available starting in June." Stephen Colbert said goodbye to his show with that irony before the holidays that will still precede a final season. But if I were the platform, I'd take up the challenge immediately. Let's keep in mind that on-demand services are cutting into traditional television's market share and, therefore, accelerating its obsolescence. Sports, game shows, entertainment... incorporating a late show Daily would be a good way to position itself as the new interface for traditional television. Despite the obvious suspicions that CBS has gotten rid of Colbert to give Trump a hard time, it is true that the format was losing 40 million dollars a year (despite being the ratings leader). But, for that price, it allowed it something fundamental: to be part of the conversation, to be relevant. Netflix has already experimented with this type of program with the late show comedian John Mulaney's weekly program. It just needs to take the next natural step.
The financial issue, moreover, doesn't seem like a problem to me. A $40 million deficit on a platform that invests $18 billion annually is the bee's knees. And even more so if you're developing ad-supported subscription plans: the format suits them perfectly. And your brand presence on social media is guaranteed. Aside from the not inconsiderable bonus of also having a golden window to promote your own series and films, Netflix should only need to overcome one reluctance: the possibility of alienating some of its viewers in the United States at the height of polarization. In other words, having the courage to challenge Trump. But the message it would send—we are above political power and accommodate all sensibilities—would be very powerful, a winning one.
