
BET No Longer For Sale, Paramount CEO Confirms

Paramount Skydance has formally ended talks to promote BET Networks, placing an finish to months of speculation surrounding the network’s fate. The announcement got here on Wednesday throughout an in depth press Q&A, simply days after Skydance CEO David Ellison closed his acquisition of the studio.
Ellison affirmed that BET will stay a core pillar of the company’s streaming vision, positioning the model and its in depth content material catalog as important to future development. His strategy marks a departure from Paramount Global’s latest pattern of promoting property to generate fast capital, as a substitute committing to strengthening and retaining current manufacturers.
In latest years, BET drew curiosity from personal fairness corporations and outstanding Black buyers, together with Tyler Perry. The potential sale was seen as a significant turning level for Black-owned media, sparking debates on the cultural and financial influence such a deal might need. By halting negotiations, Ellison signaled his intent to maintain BET firmly below Paramount Skydance’s management, anchoring it as a flagship throughout the firm’s streaming ecosystem.
Ellison revealed that this philosophy was current from his earliest conversations with former Paramount Global chair and majority shareholder Shari Redstone. Their preliminary assembly, he stated, centered on sustaining the integrity of the corporate’s portfolio — which incorporates Paramount Pictures, CBS, and BET — and investing in its long-term potential.
“We had this conversation with Shari when we first met about the company,” Ellison advised reporters. “It is our intention to keep the company together and invest in that lens.”
The determination comes amid a quickly evolving media panorama, the place legacy networks face fierce competitors from tech-driven streaming platforms. BET stays a cultural drive, particularly in music, movie, and tv programming for Black audiences. Its high-profile occasions, scripted reveals, and actuality sequence preserve sturdy engagement throughout platforms, making it a essential driver of viewers loyalty.
With BET’s place secured, Ellison’s technique displays a broader trade shift towards consolidation over liquidation. For audiences and trade insiders, the transfer gives a uncommon sense of stability — and the promise of expanded cultural affect for one in every of tv’s most enduring manufacturers.
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