HBO Max removing Chappelle’s Show before the start of 2021

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

In accordance with a request made by Dave Chappelle, HBO Max is removing Chappelle's Show from the streaming service at the end of the year.

The move to pull Chappelle's Show from the platform was announced by Casey Bloys during the keynote conversation on day one of Variety’s Virtual FYCFest.

“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,” Bloys told Variety‘s executive editor of TV, Daniel Holloway. “So at the end of the year, at the end of this year, December 31st, we’re going to honor his request and take the show down.”

Last month, Chappelle had his Comedy Central series removed from Netflix, after it was brought to his attention that Viacom CBS licensed the show without giving him a cut of the profits. Chappelle then spoke about the inconsiderate move during his Saturday Night Live monologue, which had then been followed by a video that explains his position and how he'd planned to bring those responsible to task.

“They (ViacomCBS) didn’t have to pay me because I signed the contract,” Chappelle explains in the video. “But is that right? I found out that these people were streaming my work and they never had to ask me or they never have to tell me. Perfectly legal ‘cause I signed the contract. But is that right? I didn’t think so either.”

To make matters worse, Chappelle then went on to explain how he'd shopped the idea for Chappelle's Show to HBO before landing a deal with Comedy Central. As it turns out, HBO was quite rude to Chappelle and made it clear that they had no interest in doing business with him.

“They said, literally, ‘What do we need you for?’ That’s what they told me as they kicked me out of the office, ‘What do we need you for?’” he told his audience. “And here we are all these years later and they’re streaming the very show I was pitching to them. So I’m asking them, what do you need me for?”