Netflix removes ‘Chappelle’s Show’ after Dave Chappelle Requested for it

Netflix has removed Chappelle’s Show less than a month after it added it to its catalog. As Comedian Dave Chappelle requested the streaming service do so because ViacomCBS holds the original rights for the show, and began licensing it without his permission.

Now, this means from now on Netflix subscribers will not have access to the show’s three seasons that originally aired on Comedy Central. Netflix recently (on November 1st) made the show available, and now it’s no longer discoverable on the platform.

Chappelle’s Show aired on Comedy Central which is owned by ViacomCBS from 2003 to 2006 and the program has also aired on other cable networks through syndication deals. The show was previously available through Comedy Central’s own website and app, but become available more recently on streaming services like CBS All Access, HBO Max, and Netflix. Chappelle has a controversial relationship with the program, and he quit it abruptly during the production of its third season, and lost the rights to it despite the show carries his name.

The streaming service Netflix, however, also has a lucrative contract with Comedian for some comedy specials and other programs that started back in 2016 with a worth of tens of millions of dollars. And according to reports from The Wrap, suggests that Chappelle’s ongoing relationship with Netflix is the reason why the streaming service decided to honor his request and pull his old show from the platform. Well, the show is still available on CBS All Access and HBO Max.

Chappelle has also mentioned his frustration with recent licensing deals about the Chappelle’s Show in his Saturday Night Live appearance earlier this month. Also the comedian today posted an 18-minute clip of unreleased standup on his Instagram, titled as “Unforgiven”. Which you can see below:

In the video, Chappelle references his request to Netflix, saying, “I called them and I told them that this makes me feel bad. And you want to know what they did? They agreed that they would take it off their platform just so I could feel better.” He also called the decision to stream Chappelle’s Show “fencing stolen goods.”