Colbert gets last laugh as CBS forced to fork over money for comedian's 'Charlie Brown stunt' during finale

By JAMES GORDON, US NEWS REPORTER Published: 04:23, 17 June 2026 | Updated: 04:23, 17 June 2026 Stephen Colbert appears to have delivered one final punchline at the expense of CBS. Nearly a month after the former late-night host jokingly warned on-air that a stunt involving a beloved Peanuts tune could end up costing the network money, it's emerged that CBS has been forced to strike a licensing agreement over the gag. The revelation comes weeks after the final episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, when the comedian appeared to knowingly flirt with copyright trouble during a segment centered on legal battles involving the music from the iconic Charlie Brown television specials. Now, the company that controls the rights to the music has confirmed that a deal was reached with CBS after the network aired a performance of Vince Guaraldi's instantly recognizable tune Linus and Lucy during the show's finale on May 21. Lee Mendelson Film Productions, Inc., which oversees Guaraldi's musical catalog, announced that it had entered into a licensing agreement with CBS covering the use of the track. Financial details of the arrangement were not disclosed – but the company is donating all the proceeds to Chef Jose Andrés' World Central Kitchen. The agreement stems from a comedic segment in which bandleader Louis Cato and The Late Show's house band, the Great Big Joy Machine, launched into a rendition of the famous melody while Colbert discussed copyright enforcement efforts involving the Peanuts franchise. While talking about recent lawsuits brought by the rights holders, Colbert warned viewers that the music was closely protected. CBS reached a licensing agreement after The Late Show with Stephen Colbert used Vince Guaraldi's classic composition 'Linus and Lucy' during its May 21 finale without permission The owner of the music recently pursued a series of copyright enforcement actions involving unauthorized use of Vince Guaraldi's music by businesses 'Peanuts is a powerful brand and corporation in and of itself. Anyone illegally using that music is going to have to pay through the nose,' Colbert said on the broadcast. Moments later, he turned his attention to the music playing behind him. 'Louis, Louis! Is the band right now playing the same Peanuts music I just said people were being sued for, for using without permission? Is that what you're doing?' he asked. 'Oh no, I hope this doesn't cost CBS any money!' According to Lee Mendelson Film Productions, the performance required formal licensing approval from the company, resulting in an agreement with the network after the episode aired. The organization announced that funds generated through the CBS licensing agreement will be donated to World Central Kitchen.  The nonprofit founded by celebrity Andrés provides meals during humanitarian crises, natural disasters and conflicts around the globe.  During the segment, Louis Cato and the Great Big Joy Machine performed the iconic Peanuts theme while Colbert discussed copyright lawsuits involving the music's rights holders Colbert jokingly warned viewers that unauthorized users of the music would 'have to pay through the nose' before quipping, 'Oh no, I hope this doesn't cost CBS any money!' The charitable contribution follows a major donation made during the closing days of Colbert's program. On the penultimate episode of The Late Show, Colbert and the show presented a $2.5 million donation to World Central Kitchen and Andrés. Jason Mendelson, chairman of Lee Mendelson Film Productions, praised both the comedy bit and the charitable outcome. 'LMFP found the music's use on The Late Show funny and entertaining, and is proud to support World Central Kitchen's mission,' Mendelson said in a statement. He added: 'A principal goal of our enforcement actions is to educate individuals, businesses, and government entities about the need to obtain written license agreements to use music in a commercial setting.' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.