CBS reaches an agreement to cover a licensing fee after Stephen Colbert used the Peanuts theme “Linus and Lucy” during his final episode of The Late Show. In the finale gag, Colbert played the music on air while a live performance by the band Louis Cato and the Great Big Joy Machine accompanied the segment. The arrangement is reported to involve payments related to the song’s licensing, with proceeds directed to World Central Kitchen.
Both outlets frame the incident as tied to Colbert’s last-day appearance and his on-air joke about potential costs to the network. While one report describes the moment as a final jab connected to Colbert’s public criticisms in prior periods, the underlying coverage is consistent that the use of the specific Peanuts track triggered a licensing requirement and that CBS and the rights-related parties resolve it through a fee. The agreement resolves the dispute around the music used in the broadcast.
