BET+ to Shut Down, Will Be Absorbed by Paramount+

One of the key streamers for Black entertainment is shutting down. According to Deadline, BET+ will be absorbed into Paramount+ at the beginning of June.

Deadline reports this move became possible when Paramount bought out Tyler Perry Studios’ stake in BET+. The entire BET+ library will appear under the Paramount+ BET tab.

It’s estimated BET+ had around 3.5 million subscribers. Deadline reports BET+ subscribers will receive a discounted offer to join Paramount+ when the app shuts down.

BET Networks President Louis Carr announced the move in a memo to staff today:

Team BET,

As we continue to drive BET’s growth, our stories have to live in more places. Beginning in June, we are expanding our reach by making Paramount+ the new home for BET+ content. This powerful next step ensures the stories we champion, the creators we support and the culture we represent go further than ever before.

Paramount+ will bring global fans over 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 SHOW, ALL THE QUEEN’S MEN, ZATIMA, AVERAGE JOE and DIARRA FROM DETROIT. 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 in the BET Hub.

BET is a cornerstone of Black culture and an essential part of Paramount’s portfolio and long‑term content strategy. BET’s linear channel will continue to have a strong presence, and BET Studios remains fully active, producing the compelling, creator‑driven content that defines who we are. BET Digital remains central to our multiplatform strategy as well, driving real-time conversation, audience engagement and measurable growth across social and emerging platforms.

BET has already seen strong momentum by meeting audiences where they are. Through the growth of our FAST channels, we have expanded reach, increased engagement and introduced BET content to new viewers.

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. This moment is about growth and about ensuring BET’s voice continues to shape culture at an even greater global scale.

Thank you for everything you’ve done and continue to do to move this brand forward.

– Louis

Paramount has been trying to solidify its streaming strategy for years. The service now called Paramount+ was launched as CBS All Access in 2014. The Paramount+ brand arrived in 2021. In 2023, the company pulled in its Showtime library before killing off the standalone Showtime app later that year. The children’s streamer Noggin was killed off in 2024.

The company made some historic blunders in its early streaming life, letting Peacock grab the rights for “Yellowstone” and allowing “South Park” to spend years on HBO Max.

With new owner David Ellison at the top of Paramount, the company has been spending wildly, burning over $7 billion on UFC rights and saddling itself with enormous debt to swallow Warner Bros. Discovery.

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