Paramount Skydance to shut down streaming service, adding content to Paramount+

Paramount Skydance plans to shut down the streaming platform BET+ in June and move its programming to Paramount+, as part of changes following the company’s recent consolidation.

BET+ currently has around 3.5 million subscribers, while Paramount+ has approximately 80 million. The decision was announced internally by Louis Carr, president of BET Networks, according to reports.

The move became possible after Paramount Skydance acquired Tyler Perry Studios’ stake in BET+. The stake was believed to be around 25% of the service and reportedly valued at tens of millions of dollars.

Following the acquisition, Paramount Skydance confirmed that BET+ content will be transferred to Paramount+ where licensing agreements allow. This includes a large catalogue of films and television series associated with Tyler Perry.

Carr described the change as part of a broader strategy to expand the reach of the programming.

“This powerful next step ensures the stories we champion, the creators we support and the culture we represent go further than ever before,” Carr wrote in a message to colleagues.

According to the company, Paramount+ will add more than 1,000 hours of programming currently available on BET+. The titles include series and films such as The Ms Pat Show, All the Queen’s Men, Zatima, Average Joe and Diarra From Detroit.

Carr said the programming will be featured within a dedicated section on Paramount+.

“Paramount+ will bring global fans over 1,000 hours of iconic series, films, originals and cultural touchstones that reflect the full spectrum of the Black experience,” he said.

“Our celebrated Black storytelling will live alongside Paramount’s premium series, sports, specials, and films, where it will be clearly branded, prominently featured and easy to find in the BET Hub.”

Despite the closure of the streaming service, other parts of the BET brand will continue to operate. The BET television channel, BET Studios production division and the BET Digital platform will remain part of Paramount’s media portfolio.

Carr said the company continues to view BET as a key component of its long-term content strategy.

“BET remains strong because of you, your creativity, your resilience and your unwavering belief in the power of our stories,” he told staff.

Subscribers who signed up directly through the BET+ app are expected to receive a discount offer for Paramount+ once the service shuts down.