Proving that daytime TV success hasn’t yet gone to his head, John Oliver has extended his HBO contract through late 2027. That date means that Last Week Tonight With John Oliver extends to at least its 14th season, which is an impressive feat for the format. However, as Variety pointed out, there’s an important wrinkle to the story: Oliver’s extension is for one year versus the industry “standard” of a three-year pickup. (Oliver last renewed for three years in December 2023.) So, does that basically confirm that the world will get to enjoy even more Agent Z down the line?
More likely, Oliver’s decision has everything to do with the Paramount Skydance’s possible acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. Oliver has long been an opponent of the acquisition dating back to its announcement in September 2025. As recently as a monologue featured in a March episode, Oliver said that proposed acquisition was “not great news,” adding, “In fact, if I may quote anyone who’s ever accidentally sat on their Roku remote, I’m in Paramount now…how the f**k do I get out of here?’” Oliver has also spoken out about Paramount settling a Trump Administration lawsuit against CBS over a 60 Minutes segment as well as taking big-time shots at Bari Weiss’ management of CBS News.
Contract Extension and Acquisition
Oliver’s long held a semi-joking, mostly contentious relationship with Warner Bros. (HBO’s parent company), regularly referring to his corporate overlords as his “business daddy.” He’s also routinely integrated real criticism of WB’s business practices across Last Week Tonight, including their “botched” rebranding for HBO Max. However, when you win as many awards as Last Week Tonight (including two Peabody Awards and five Critics Choice Awards), they’ve basically had to grin and bear through the hijinks of their “business baby.”
In terms of the acquisition, it was recently paused amid an ongoing antitrust lawsuit. For his part, though, Oliver is doubling down on all of this tension and politicking: Last Week returned from its summer hiatus with a hilarious recap on Trump’s recent efforts, including Oliver obliterating the president for his ill-gotten crypto fortune.
Future of Last Week Tonight
With the contract extension, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver will continue to bring its unique brand of comedy and commentary to HBO viewers. As the acquisition drama unfolds, it will be interesting to see how Oliver navigates the situation and whether his show will continue to thrive in its current form. One thing is certain, however: John Oliver will continue to speak his mind and bring attention to the issues that matter most to him, and that’s something that fans of Last Week Tonight can look forward to.
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