Tyler Perry Teams Up With BET for New Streaming Service

Earlier this week, it has been announced that Black Entertainment Television (BET) is launching a new streaming service, and with that comes a new partnership with media giant Tyler Perry.

The service, called BET+, will feature over 1000 hours of content, from new original programming to a large amount of Viacom’s current portfolio geared toward African Americans. Perhaps the biggest selling point is that Perry is contributing his own back catalog of stage plays, movies, and TV shows. He is also producing a new series, White House-based drama The Oval, specifically for the service.

In a statement obtained by Variety, BET Networks president Scott Mills expressed his excitement over the new service and what it will bring to its audience.

“African-Americans are the leading consumers of streaming services, with higher SVOD adoption rates than other consumers, which is why we’re so excited to launch a premium product for this underserved audience. BET Plus is a natural extension of BET’s linear network, which has been the leading home of black culture for decades. Tyler Perry is the perfect partner for BET Plus. The combination of new, original shows and his giant library of popular movies, series and stage plays that Tyler brings to our joint venture creates an amazing product for his large and passionate fan base.”

For his part, Perry (who recently received the “Ultimate Icon” Award at Sunday’s BET Awards) had this to say:

“In our industry, the way people consume content is constantly evolving. I’ve paid attention to my audience and what works for them and, for that reason, I’m very excited not only about the idea of partnering with BET to create new and exciting content, but also about the idea of giving people a personalized experience through the ability to curate the content they love to consume. On a personal level, this will also be the first time I’ll be working in areas like unscripted and variety television, which will afford me the opportunity to work in fresh, creative ways with new voices and to discover new talent.”

BET+ is set to launch this fall.