Tyler Perry reportedly has yet to move forward with his goal of purchasing BET, despite a recent report from The Streamr claiming as much. The website broke the story, earlier this week, but has since taken down the report, as noted by the Huffington Post’s Phil Lewis.
The actor's Tyler Perry Studios company previously partnered with the network to create BET+. The streaming service features both original films and series from the BET library and has been a massive hit since launching. Perry has discussed the idea of buying BET in the past, confirming his intent to do so to Entertainment Tonight during an interview back in April. “Rumor? No, it’s not a rumor, I’ve been there for four years now and had tremendous success,'” Perry said at the time. "I wasn’t expecting this to happen, so, yes – if that is possible, I’m very, very interested in taking as much of it… If it’s possible, I’m gonna take as much of it as I can.”
Tyler Perry Accepts The BET Ultimate Icon Award
In that same interview, Perry also explained why Black ownership is important for the network. "I think there was sadness when Bob sold it, and I think there'll be happiness when it's Black-owned again," Perry said. "And even though Shari (Redstone) and what is it? Viacom and Paramount? They've done a phenomenal job with it. They didn't let it fall by the wayside; they didn't let it go into dust. They nurtured it and took care of it. And to see Shari at this position saying, 'I think it should be returned to a black owner?' I figured, OK, see, that's my kind of person.'"
"The Streamr" Takes Down The Report
For now, it seems Tyler Perry still has some competition before he can move forward with buying BET. Diddy as well as Byron Allen and others are reportedly also interested. Keep an eye out for official confirmation if Perry does purchase BET.
[Via]
