Why Did Netflix Remove Vietnam War?

Netflix has a complex and ever-changing library of films and television shows. One of the most recent removals is the Ken Burns and Lynn Novick-directed documentary series, The Vietnam War. It was one of Netflix’s most popular series, but due to a licensing issue, it was removed from their streaming service on December 1st, 2020.

The series, which aired on PBS in 2017, was highly acclaimed. It won an Emmy award, four Critics’ Choice Awards and two Peabody Awards.

It was also nominated for an Oscar. The documentary looks at the conflict from all angles – not only focusing on the American military experience but also on the perspectives of those in South Vietnam who were fighting against them.

The series featured interviews with more than 80 witnesses from all sides of the conflict – American soldiers, Vietnamese combatants and civilians, French participants, antiwar protesters and more. It is considered to be one of the most comprehensive films about the war ever created.

Netflix stated that they had no choice but to remove The Vietnam War due to a “licensing agreement issue”. This means that they were unable to secure the rights to continue streaming it. The rights are now owned by Paramount Plus (the rebranded CBS All Access).

It is unclear why Netflix chose not to renew their agreement with Paramount Plus or why Paramount Plus decided not to renew their agreement with Netflix. However, this is not an uncommon occurrence for streaming services; as licensing agreements expire, content can be removed from one platform and added to another.

Conclusion:
The removal of The Vietnam War from Netflix’s streaming service is likely due to a licensing agreement issue between Netflix and Paramount Plus (CBS All Access). It is unclear why neither company chose to renew their agreement with each other or why Paramount Plus decided not to allow Netflix access any longer. Despite this unfortunate situation, it is not uncommon for streaming services to have content come and go as these agreements expire or are renegotiated.