NEW RULES

CNN to Air Repeats of ‘Real Time With Bill Maher’ on Saturday Night

In its 22nd season, ‘Real Time’ will air “encore presentations” on the cable news network beginning this weekend.

Bill Maher is moving to CNN. Well, at least re-runs of his long-running HBO late-night talk show are.

The cable news network announced on Monday that Real Time with Bill Maher, now in its 22nd season, will begin airing “encore presentations” of its Friday night broadcasts on CNN. The replays will be broadcast on Saturday nights at 8 p.m. ET and start on March 23.

“The addition of Real Time With Bill Maher to CNN’s weekend primetime lineup marks the start of a commitment and investment into topical entertainment programming that we’re bringing to the weekends,” CNN Executive Vice President of Talent Amy Entelis said in a statement. “We’ve seen that audiences enjoy Bill’s perspective and approach to news and information, and we’re looking forward to the show now being on CNN.”

With HBO and CNN under the corporate umbrella of Warner Bros. Discovery, the company’s brass has been experimenting with the concept of incorporating more of Maher’s content into the cable news brand’s schedule. Last year, CNN began airing the Overtime segments from Real Time on Friday nights, which typically feature the comic and his guests engaging in a post-show discussion.

However, now that the network will make the entire Real Time broadcast available on Saturday nights, CNN said it will transition the Overtime segments off Fridays. Instead, viewers can continue to view Overtime on the show’s YouTube channel. Viewers can also watch Real Time live or on-demand via the streaming service Max.

The addition of Maher’s show to the Saturday night schedule could suggest the type of programming CNN is looking to gravitate toward during the weekend. Notably, the channel recently broadcast the general interest interview show King Charles, which typically airs on Wednesday evening, on Saturday night due to scheduling conflicts with primary election coverage.

This is likely further indication that WBD is looking to get more bang for its buck with its properties, making Maher’s show—which regularly features politicians and newsmakers—available to CNN viewers who may not have HBO or Max subscriptions.

Maher, who just fired his talent agency over an Oscar party snub, recently signed an extension with WBD that will keep Real Time on the airwaves for another two years That renewal came months after the company announced Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, another HBO late-night staple, had been extended through 2026.

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Justin BaragonaSenior Media Reporter

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