The BET+ streaming service will be discontinued, and its programming will be consolidated into Paramount+, the company announced Friday.
Paramount Skydance has purchased Tyler Perry Studios’ stake in BET+, which will help facilitate the move. The move “will ensure the stories we support, the creators we support, and the culture we represent,” Lewis Carr, president of BET Networks, said in a memo to employees. [will] Go further than ever before.” (Read the full note below.)
The change will come in June, when about a thousand hours of BET+ programming will become part of Paramount+, including Perry-produced programming. All the Queen’s Men and Zatima, Mrs. Pat’s Show Which received critical acclaim Diarra from Detroit.
Terms of the acquisition of Perry’s stake in BET+ have not been disclosed, but are likely to be in the eight-figure range. Perry will continue to anchor shows for BET through an extensive content partnership; BET also operates two FAST channels dedicated to the Perry series.
On the Paramount side, CEO David Ellison has repeatedly expressed his desire to expand Paramount+ — and that’s the main motivation behind Paramount’s upcoming acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery – and put the company’s streaming operations under one umbrella. The BET+ move is on a much smaller scale than the potential combination of Paramount+ and HBO Max, but it’s a step in that direction.
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Carr’s note is below.
team bet,
As we continue to drive BET’s growth, our stories must live on in more places. Starting in June, we’re expanding our reach by making Paramount+ the new home for BET+ content. This powerful next step ensures that the stories we support, the creators we support, and the culture we represent go further than ever before.
Paramount+ will bring global fans more than 1,000 hours of iconic series, films, originals and cultural touchstones that reflect the full range of the Black experience, including hits like THE MS. Pat Show, All Queen’s Men, Zatema, Average Joe and Diarra from Detroit. Our iconic dark storytelling will live alongside premium Paramount series, sports, specials and films, where they will be clearly branded, prominently featured and easy to find in the BET Hub.
BET is a cornerstone of Black culture and a key part of Paramount’s portfolio and long-term content strategy. BET’s linear channel will continue to have a strong presence, and BET Studios will remain fully active, producing compelling, creator-driven content that defines us. BET Digital remains a key component of our multi-platform 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 ensuring that BET’s voice continues to shape culture on an even greater global scale.
Thank you for everything you have done and continue to do to move this brand forward.
-Louis
Delivery time I reported the news for the first time.
