UPDATE:
This is the type of things we like to see! Tyler Perry is not the only person eyeing BET’s majority ownership. According to Deadline Byron Allen said he wants to buy BET as Paramount Global is looking at sale of the asset.
“Byron Allen is interested in buying BET, and he will be pursuing the acquisition of the network,” a spokesman for the Allen Media Group said in a statement.
While a representative from Tyler Perry’s company nor Perry himself have addressed the rumor of his interest this potential bidding war between Bryon Allen and Tyler Perry to buy BET is a beautiful fight of ownership.
Previously posted on Mar 6:
According to Deadline, Tyler Perry has expressed interest in purchasing a majority stake in BET Media Group, which is currently being explored for sale by parent company Paramount Global. Perry, who currently owns a minority stake in the operation, is heavily involved in its programming, producing a large portion of the shows available on BET and BET+ streaming service, which he helped launch in 2019. BET’s divisions also include production company BET Studios, which counts Kenya Barris, Rashida Jones, and Aaron Rahsaan Thomas as minority stakeholders.
READ: Kelly Rowland, Trevante Rhodes, and More to Star in Tyler Perry’s Mea Culpa
Perry’s partnership with BET has been successful and lucrative. The network helped fund his first feature, 2005’s “Diary of a Mad Black Woman,” and he has since produced popular TV shows, including “House of Payne,” “Sisters,” “The Oval,” “Ruthless,” “Zatima,” and “Assisted Living.” In 2017, Perry signed a long-term film deal with Paramount, which has been extended to include a TV deal that began in May 2020.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Paramount Global’s decision to consider selling a majority stake in BET is part of the entertainment giant’s effort to bolster its flagship streaming service Paramount+ and its advertiser-supported free streaming platform Pluto TV. Paramount recently announced that it would be rebranding Showtime’s linear and streaming platforms as Paramount+, which has already led to significant changes and layoffs across the company.
Representatives for Paramount Global and Perry have yet to comment on the potential sale. However, if the deal goes through, it would be a significant move for Perry, who has become a powerhouse in the entertainment industry, with a net worth of over $1 billion.