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Black Entertainment Television is an American cable television network with programming developed primarily for Black audiences. It became an influential outlet for Black music, entertainment, news, and culture and helped bring programming aimed at Black viewers to a national cable audience.
History of BET
BET was launched in 1980 by media entrepreneurRobert L. Johnson. Having gained experience as a lobbyist for the cable television industry in the late 1970s, Johnson saw an opportunity to reach Black audiences through a cable TV channel.
BET originated with two hours of weekly programming in 1980 and slowly gained viewership throughout North America and the Caribbean. Music videos were an early staple of BET programming, as were shows that targeted a youthful audience, but the network broadened its focus to include political and issue-oriented programs, comedy showcases, talk shows, and sports, among a wide variety of offerings.
Having established BET as a successful niche media company, Johnson launched it as a public corporation in 1991. BET was listed on the New York Stock Exchange until 1998, when Johnson and other investors gained private control of the firm. In 2000, Johnson and his partners sold BET to Viacom Inc. for $3 billion.
Through subsequent reorganizations, BET became part of Paramount Global, which merged with Skydance Media in 2025 to form Paramount Skydance Corporation. In 2026, following its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount Skydance changed its name to Skydance Corporation (SKYD).
