Under Paramount Skydance ownership, BET plans to shut down BET+ and merge the subscription service’s content with its flagship Paramount+ streamer starting in June of this year.
Additionally, Paramount will acquire minority ownership of media mogul and multi-hyphenate Tyler Perry’s BET+. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Perry held a 25% stake in BET+ as a result of a 2019 production deal with Paramount.
BET+ currently costs $5.99 per month (with ads) and $9.99 per month (without ads) and offers over 1,000 hours of programming. The service launched in September 2019, just before BET’s then-parent company Viacom and CBS merged to form Paramount Global.
“As part of this evolution, Paramount has acquired Tyler Perry Studios’ stake in BET+,” a Paramount representative 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 throughout the programming deal.”
A representative for Mr. Perry declined to comment. The news was first reported by Deadline.
BET President Louis Carr said in a staff memo that Paramount+ will become the “new home of BET+ content” beginning in June 2026. Mr Kerr took over leadership of the group in December last year after former CEO Scott Mills resigned.
Regarding the decision to combine BET+ and Paramount+, Kerr wrote: “This powerful next step will ensure that the stories we champion, the creators we support, and the culture we represent go further than ever before…Our famous Black storytelling will live alongside Paramount’s premium series, sports, specials and movies, and will be clearly branded, prominently featured and easily found in BET Hub.”
Carr said BET is a “cornerstone of Black culture” and remains “an integral part of Paramount’s portfolio and long-term content strategy.” BET’s linear TV channels, BET Studios’ in-house production division and BET Digital will continue to operate as before, he said.
Read Kerr’s memo to staff regarding the move to phase out BET+ as a standalone service and move its content to Paramount+.
team bet,
As we continue to drive BET’s growth, our story needs to exist in more places. Starting in June, we will expand our reach with Paramount+ as the new home for BET+ content. This powerful next step will ensure that the stories we champion, the creators we support, and the culture we represent go further than ever before.
Paramount+ brings fans around the world more than 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 Shaw, All the Queen’s Men, Zatima, Average Joe, Diarra from Detroit. Our famous Black storytelling will live alongside Paramount’s premium series, sports, specials and movies, clearly branded, prominently featured and easily found on BET Hub.
BET is a cornerstone of Black culture and an important part of Paramount’s portfolio and long-term content strategy. BET’s linear channels will continue to have a strong presence and BET Studios will remain fully operational, producing the compelling creator-driven content that defines who we are. BET Digital continues to be central to our multi-platform strategy, driving real-time conversations, audience engagement and measurable growth across social and emerging platforms.
BET already has strong momentum by meeting viewers where they are. Through the growth of the FAST channel, we have expanded our reach, increased engagement and introduced BET content to new audiences.
What I want you to understand today is that 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 BET’s voice continues to shape culture on an even larger global scale.
Thank you for all you have done and continue to do to move this brand forward.
– Louis
