HBO Max To Pull ‘Chappelle’s Show’ At Dave Chappelle’s Request
Come January 1, 2021, Chappelle’s Show will no longer be available on HBO Max. It seems that the streaming service is following Netflix’s lead, who removed the show from its catalog last month. This isn’t due to controversial material or an expired licensing deal. Rather, this is happening because one man wants to see the show wiped from streaming platforms altogether. That man is Dave Chappelle himself.
Chappelle made headlines in November after he requested Netflix and other streaming giants to take down the show. He explained in a video statement that the nature of the deal he signed with ViacomCBS makes it so that he doesn’t get paid when the show is licensed to major platforms. The contract was forged years ago, and after Chappelle abruptly quit the show due to content concerns ViacomCBS was allowed to withhold payment from the star. Chappelle admitted that ViacomCBS was legally in the right, but expressed frustration over the fact that they wouldn’t pay the creator, writer, and star of the popular show for his work.
When Chappelle stated his case, Netflix — whom he had made a series of comedy specials with — quickly complied with his request. HBO Max is the next to do so. “We had a conversation with Dave. I won’t get into it, but it’s very clear that it’s a very unique and specific and emotional issue he’s got,” Casey Bloys, chief content officer of HBO and HBO Max, told Variety. "So at the end of the year, at the end of this year, December 31, we’re going to honor his request and take the show down.”
Chappelle’s Show is still available for streaming on CBS All Access. Considering the streaming service is owned by parent company ViacomCBS, it seems unlikely the show will be removed from there. Nonetheless, the fact that Chappelle was able to get such a popular show removed from two major platforms is a testament to his influence in the entertainment industry.
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