AT A GLANCE
• Paramount Skydance will phase out BET+ as a standalone streaming service and merge its catalog into Paramount+ beginning in June 2026.
• Paramount is buying Tyler Perry’s 25 percent ownership stake in BET+, originally acquired through a 2019 production deal.
• More than 1,000 hours of BET+ programming will move to a dedicated BET Hub on Paramount+.
• BET’s cable network, BET Studios production arm, and BET Digital platforms will continue operating under Paramount’s long term strategy.
Paramount Buys Tyler Perry’s BET+ Stake as Streaming Service Merges With Paramount+
Paramount Skydance is shutting down BET+ as a standalone streaming service and will fold the platform’s content into Paramount+ beginning in June 2026, marking a significant shift in how the company distributes its Black focused programming.
As part of the transition, Paramount is also buying out Tyler Perry’s minority ownership stake in BET+. The filmmaker and media mogul previously held a 25 percent share in the platform through a production deal signed in 2019 with Paramount. Financial terms of the buyout have not been disclosed.
The move signals a restructuring of the streaming service that was originally launched in September 2019, just before Viacom and CBS merged to form what is now Paramount Global.
BET+ Content Will Move to Paramount+
Under the plan, the entire BET+ catalog will be integrated into Paramount+, where the content will live inside a dedicated BET Hub on the streaming platform.
The library includes more than 1,000 hours of programming, ranging from scripted originals and films to cultural series that focus on Black storytelling.
Popular shows currently available through BET+ include The Ms. Pat Show, All the Queen’s Men, Zatima, Average Joe, and Diarra From Detroit. Once the transition takes place, these series will become accessible to Paramount+ subscribers as part of the platform’s broader catalog of films, sports programming, and premium television.
BET+ currently offers two subscription tiers, costing $5.99 per month with ads or $9.99 per month without advertisements.
Tyler Perry Remains a Partner With Paramount
Paramount confirmed that it has acquired Tyler Perry Studios’ equity stake in the streaming service but emphasized that the filmmaker will continue working with the company through his existing programming agreement.
“As part of this evolution, Paramount acquired Tyler Perry Studios’ equity stake in BET+,” a company 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 through his overall programming agreement.”
A spokesperson for Perry declined to comment on the deal. News of the transaction was first reported by Deadline.
Perry’s involvement with BET+ helped anchor the platform during its early years, as his shows and films were a key part of the service’s programming lineup.
BET Leadership Says the Move Expands Reach
BET president Louis Carr announced the decision to staff in an internal memo, explaining that the company believes the shift will allow BET programming to reach a larger global audience through Paramount’s main streaming platform.
“Beginning in June, we are expanding our reach by making Paramount+ the new home for BET+ content,” 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.”
Carr said the BET Hub on Paramount+ will ensure the network’s storytelling remains clearly branded and easily accessible to viewers within the larger platform.
“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,” Carr said.
BET Network and Studios Will Continue Operating
While BET+ will no longer operate independently, Carr emphasized that the broader BET brand remains central to Paramount’s long term strategy.
BET’s cable channel will continue to operate as usual, while BET Studios will remain active producing original content for multiple platforms. BET Digital will also continue expanding its presence across social media and other digital spaces.
Carr described BET as “a cornerstone of Black culture” and said the changes are intended to strengthen the brand’s ability to reach audiences across multiple platforms.
He also pointed to the company’s growing network of FAST channels as another way BET has already expanded its reach to new viewers by offering free ad supported streaming content.
“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,” Carr wrote to staff.
According to Carr, the transition is meant to position BET’s content for broader visibility while ensuring the brand continues to influence culture on a global scale.
