Under Paramount Skydance’s ownership, BET is shutting down BET+ and will merge the content on the subscription service with the flagship Paramount+ streamer starting this June.
In addition, Paramount is acquiring media mogul and multihyphenate Tyler Perry‘s minority ownership stake in BET+. Terms of that transaction are not being disclosed. Perry had held a 25% stake in BET+ as the result of a 2019 production deal with Paramount.
BET+ currently costs $5.99/month (with ads) and $9.99/month (without ads) and provides more than 1,000 hours of programming. The service was launched in September 2019, just prior to the merger of BET’s then-parent company Viacom with CBS to form Paramount Global.
“As part of this evolution, Paramount acquired Tyler Perry Studios’ equity stake in BET+,” a Paramount rep said in a statement. “We share the same ambition to expand the reach of BET content, and Tyler will continue to be a valued and important partner through his overall programming agreement.”
A rep for Perry declined to comment. The news was first reported by Deadline.
BET president Louis Carr said in a staff memo that Paramount+ will be “the new home for BET+ content” starting in June 2026. Carr took over leadership of the group with the departure of former CEO Scott Mills last December.
Regarding the decision to merge BET+ with Paramount+, Carr wrote, “This powerful next step ensures the stories we champion, the creators we support and the culture we represent go further than ever before… Our celebrated Black storytelling will live alongside Paramount’s premium series, sports, specials and films, where it will be clearly branded, prominently featured and easy to find in the BET Hub.”
Carr said that BET, a “cornerstone of Black culture,” remains an “essential part of Paramount’s portfolio and long‑term content strategy.” BET’s linear TV channel, the BET Studios in-house production arm and BET Digital will continue operating as they have before, he said.
Read Carr’s memo to staffers about the move to phase out BET+ as a stand-alone service and move its content over to Paramount+:
Team BET,
As we continue to drive BET’s growth, our stories have to live in more places. Beginning in June, we are expanding our reach by making Paramount+ the new home for BET+ content. This powerful next step ensures the stories we champion, the creators we support and the culture we represent go further than ever before.
Paramount+ will bring global fans over 1,000 hours of iconic series, films, originals and cultural touchstones that reflect the full spectrum of the Black experience, including hits like THE MS. PAT SHOW, ALL THE QUEEN’S MEN, ZATIMA, AVERAGE JOE and DIARRA FROM DETROIT. Our celebrated Black storytelling will live alongside Paramount’s premium series, sports, specials and films, where it will be clearly branded, prominently featured and easy to find in the BET Hub.
BET is a cornerstone of Black culture and an essential part of Paramount’s portfolio and long‑term content strategy. BET’s linear channel will continue to have a strong presence, and BET Studios remains fully active, producing the compelling, creator‑driven content that defines who we are. BET Digital remains central to our multiplatform strategy as well, driving real-time conversation, audience engagement and measurable growth across social and emerging platforms.
BET has already seen strong momentum by meeting audiences where they are. Through the growth of our FAST channels, we have expanded reach, increased engagement and introduced BET content to new viewers.
What I want you to take away today is this: BET remains strong because of you, your creativity, your resilience and your unwavering belief in the power of our stories. This moment is about growth and about ensuring BET’s voice continues to shape culture at an even greater global scale.
Thank you for everything you’ve done and continue to do to move this brand forward.
– Louis
First Appeared on
Source link
Leave feedback about this