Tyler Perry Eager to Acquire BET Network Amid Competition from Other Black Celebrities
Filmmaker Tyler Perry has expressed his strong interest in purchasing a majority stake in the BET network.
As a current minority stakeholder in the BET Media Group, Perry has been in discussions with Paramount, the network’s owner, about expanding his ownership.
In a recent Entertainment Tonight interview, Perry confirmed his enthusiasm for acquiring the network, citing his four years of success with BET. He revealed that conversations are underway and he is “beyond interested” in taking over as much of the network as possible.
Perry acknowledged that media mogul Byron Allen and rapper Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs have also expressed interest in acquiring BET, which stands for Black Entertainment Television. Despite the competition, Perry is excited that the network is likely to be owned by a Black individual in the future.
Sharing his thoughts, Perry said, “This is what I love about it – when Bob Johnson sold it in 2000, I think it was, there wasn’t one Black person who could buy it. So now, to see all of these Black people, men and women, who are able to be in a position to buy it? Man, that makes me feel really, really excited… I think there was sadness when Bob sold it, and I think there’ll be happiness when it’s Black-owned again.”
Highlighting the progress since BET’s sale by Bob Johnson in 2000, Perry is optimistic about the increased opportunities for Black men and women to be in a position to buy the network. The 53-year-old has been involved with BET since 2017, producing original content for the network and other Viacom networks and playing a key role in the launch of BET+ in 2019.
