Netflix Cuts $13.5 Million Check for Colbert—But Do We Really Need Them Anymore?

Netflix just made headlines again—no, not for an innovative new show or for dropping another season of Stranger Things (that’s still a year away). Instead, they’ve decided to cut Stephen Colbert a $13.5 million deal. Yes, that Colbert—the same late-night host who’s built a career out of turning “Orange Man Bad” into a nightly monologue.

Add this to the $2 million Netflix threw at Governor Gavin Newsom for California’s redistricting project, and you have to ask yourself: does anyone actually need Netflix anymore? Maybe the only thing holding back the mass exodus is the fact they locked up WWE Monday Night Raw. Because who doesn’t love watching body slams and powerbombs while ignoring that the same platform is busy powerbombing democracy?

Big Tech, Big Media, Big Politics

It’s one thing when traditional “fake news” outfits like CNN, MSNBC, or The Washington Post openly carry water for one side. That’s expected. But Netflix isn’t supposed to be “news”—they’re supposed to be your Friday-night escape from reality, not an ATM for political pet projects and celebrity talking heads.

Instead, they’re looking more and more like a cultural gatekeeper that wants to decide what you see, what you think, and who gets to redraw your political maps. And all this while raising subscription prices.

Colbert: The $13.5 Million Punchline

Does anyone think Colbert needs Netflix money to stay relevant? He’s already got a cushy late-night gig. But apparently, Netflix thinks its audience is clamoring for even more smug monologues from a man who’s turned being wrong about politics into a performance art. At least when WWE puts on a scripted fight, you know it’s fake. With Colbert, the line is blurrier.

The Illusion of Choice

Netflix knows that if they offer you enough bright, shiny distractions—whether it’s Raw or reruns of your favorite sitcom—you’ll tolerate their little side projects with politicians and partisan pundits. But the bigger pattern is clear: entertainment giants and big tech don’t just want your eyeballs; they want your worldview.

So, is Netflix still worth the subscription? Only if you can’t live without watching John Cena body slam somebody. Otherwise, maybe it’s time to remember: you don’t have to pay $20 a month to be told what to think by Colbert and Gavin Newsom’s map drawers.

At this point, the only real cliffhanger left on Netflix is: when will Americans finally hit “cancel subscription”?