Viacom

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BET was among several influential cable networks acquired by Viacom in 2001.

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Viacom was a major American media conglomerate with holdings in television, radio, film, and publishing. It went through a series of mergers and restructurings before reuniting with CBS Corporation in 2019 to form ViacomCBS, later renamed Paramount Global. With the merger, Viacom ceased to exist as a distinct company. Its headquarters were in New York City.

Viacom was formed in 1971 by CBS Inc. to operate cable TV systems and to syndicate such popular CBS series as I Love Lucy after the Federal Communications Commission prohibited television networks from performing such activities. In 1976, it established the Showtime movie network, and in 1985 it bought the MTV Networks, including the music video channels MTV and VH-1 as well as the Nickelodeon channel for children.

In 1987, Viacom became a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Amusements Inc. movie theater chain. It continued to expand, acquiring more radio and television stations, adding cable channels and franchises, and producing films for Showtime and several popular television series for the networks.

In 1994, Viacom acquired Paramount Communications Inc., a media conglomerate that had been founded in 1958 as Gulf + Western Corporation. Among the major businesses Paramount brought to Viacom were Paramount Pictures Corporation, Simon & Schuster, and Madison Square Garden (later sold by Viacom). Viacom’s subsequent merger with Blockbuster added video rental and music retail operations to its considerable film, cable, television, and publishing holdings. The combination created one of the most diversified entertainment companies in the world.

In 1995, Viacom’s Paramount unit and Chris-Craft Industries launched a new broadcasting network called United Paramount Network; in 2006, the channel merged with the WB to form the CW. In 1999, Viacom agreed to acquire CBS Corporation; the merger was completed the following year. Viacom purchased Black Entertainment Television (BET) in 2001.

Viacom split into two companies in 2006, with Viacom retaining only MTV, BET, and Paramount Pictures. Both Viacom and CBS remained under the control of National Amusements. In 2019, the two companies once again merged and assumed the name ViacomCBS (later Paramount Global). Although CBS and Paramount continued as distinct entities, Viacom didn’t.

In August 2025, Paramount Global merged with Skydance Media to form Paramount Skydance Corporation. In October 2026, following its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, the company changed its name to Skydance Corporation (SKYD).