It appears Tyler Perry and Byron Allen may have some competition in buying BET.
The sale of the legendary television network has also found some interest in Hip-Hop billionaire Diddy who reportedly has thrown his hat into the ring.
According to Variety, a source close to Diddy revealed the mogul is “exploring the opportunity to purchase BET as a part of his strategy to build a Black-owned global media powerhouse.”
The BET Media Group is currently run by Scott Mills and includes BET, BET+, VH1 and also the network’s production company, BET Studios, making the potential deal even sweeter.
However, another source tempered Diddy’s interest, stating that while the idea has been in his orbit, he’s not yet in talks with Paramount. In actuality, Paramount hasn’t entered serious talks with anyone just yet.
Diddy already has his own Network in Revolt, which produces long-form and short-form video content and a media website that carries content surrounding the hip-hop culture.
Last week Paramount, who owns the network released a statement for the first time about a possible sale.
“The decision to consider selling a majority stake of the assets, which cater primarily to Black audiences, is part of the entertainment giant’s effort to shore up resources to bolster its flagship Paramount+ streaming service and its advertiser-supported free streaming platform Pluto TV, some of the people said,” writes The Wall Street Journal.
Tyler Perry is a solid choice because he’s already a minority owner of BET and produces a sizeable amount of content for the brand. Byron Allen’s portfolio is growing as he already owns properties like TheGrio, The Weather Channel and several ABC affiliates.
See how Twitter’s reacting to Diddy’s interest in buying BET below.
Diddy Reportedly Wants To Buy BET, Twitter Just Wants ‘106 & Park’ Back
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