WASHINGTON — "Chappelle's Show" is back on Netflix after Comedy Central paid Dave Chappelle "millions of dollars" and gave him back the "license" to his show.
In a Instagram video posted Thursday from what appears to be a recent standup show in Texas, Chappelle revealed the show would be returning to the streaming platform on Feb. 12, more than two months after he asked fans to boycott because he never got paid after leaving the ViacomCBS-owned show.
"I never asked Comedy Central for anything, if you remember I said I'm going to my real boss and I came to you. Because I know where my power lies," Chappelle explained in the "Redemption Song" clip. "I asked you to stop watching the show and thank God almighty for you, you did. You made that show worthless, because without your eyes it's nothing. And when you stopped watching it, they called me and I got my name back and I got my license back and I got my show back and they paid me millions of dollars. Thank you very much."
The show aired on Comedy Central from 2003 to 2006 before Chappelle abruptly walked away. It has aired in reruns since then. While hosting "Saturday Night Live" last year, Chappelle called out Netflix and HBO Max for streaming his show without paying him "for any of it." People reported it was the first time the show was available on any streaming service.
Chappelle has made several recent specials with Netflix. Back in November, the comedian further detailed his beef with Comedy Central and revealed that Netflix had agreed to take the show off its service at Chappelle's request.
During his most recent clip from this week, Chappelle thanked Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos for having "the courage to take show off its platform at a financial detriment to his company, just because I asked him to." He also thanked Chris McCarthy of CBS-Viacom for doing something that was "very courageous."
"And finally after all these years, I can finally say, 'Comedy Central, it's been a pleasure doing business with you,'" Chappelle concluded, before a compilation of "Chappelle's Show" clips played with "Happy Days Are Here Again" playing in the background.
Chappelle, who grew up in Washington, D.C., also spoke in the clip about watching citizens storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. He explained that a lot of his friends growing up are Capitol Hill police officers and when he asked them to about that day, they told him they were "trying to save our country" from the insurrectionists who stormed the building.
