BET+ SETS LAUNCH OF BET+ ESSENTIAL AD-SUPPORTED TIER STARTING AT $5.99/MONTH 

BEGINNING IN JUNE, BET+ WILL OFFER AN AD-INTEGRATED EXPERIENCE FOR MEMBERS WITH ACCESS TO ONE OF THE INDUSTRY’S LARGEST SELECTIONS OF PREMIUM BLACK CONTENT

Los Angeles, CA – May 11, 2023 – Today, BET+, the premiere streaming service for the Black audience, announced plans for the launch of BET+ Essential, its new, lower-priced, ad-supported tier. 

As the #1 streaming service for Black viewers, BET+ Essential will offer access to the      exclusive original programming lineup from BET+ and its expansive library featuring more than 2,000 hours of content from creative forces such as Tyler Perry, Gabrielle Union, Lee Daniels, Mary J. Blige, and Kevin Hart.

• BET+ Essential will cost just $5.99 a month and launch on June 25th, 2023, at 9 a.m. PT the day of the “BET Awards” 2023 live broadcast. 
• Essential members will have access to the same features and video quality as current BET+ members; the only difference: limited video ads.
• BET+ Essential membership includes access to Black content from the best creators across movies, TV shows, award shows and specials, all in one place.

Membership includes access to a variety of exclusive content, with new original series and movies launching each month. 

“A primary focus for BET+ has been delivering consumers the content they want, how they want it, and when they want it, so the natural evolution of the service was to provide consumers with a more economical ad-integrated experience,” said Scott Mills, President and CEO, BET Media Group. “We are delighted to expand access to our premium streaming service by introducing this ad-supported tier.”

“This lower priced, ad-supported tier of BET+ will not only deliver to our audiences, but to the advertising community, which has long expressed an appetite for more non-linear options in reaching the highly coveted, digital-native Black consumer market,” added Louis Carr, President of Media Sales, BET Media Group. “As the preeminent Black streaming service, only BET+ Essential can deliver reach, resonance, relevance, and scale. In fact, 80 percent of BET+ members watch from a connected TV, and, with the launch of our ad-supported option, we offer advertisers the perfect addition to linear, reaching even more Black viewers when they are most engaged.”

Ad format: 

• At launch, ads will be a mix of 15 and 30 seconds in length playing before and during programming and customized to limit viewing interruption.

What’s different for existing members: 

• Current BET+ members will not be impacted. 

As with the current BET+ plan, all new BET+ Essential subscriptions offer the first week free!

Audience measurement: 

• For audience measurement, BET+ Essential will use Nielsen’s Digital Ad Ratings (DAR).

For more on BET+ and BET+ Essential, visit bet.plus 

ABOUT BET+:

BET+, a subsidiary of Paramount Global, is the preeminent streaming service for the Black audience. A joint venture between BET and Tyler Perry Studios, BET+ allows users to stream the best of Black culture from the best Black creators across movies, TV shows, stand-up comedy, award shows and specials, all in one place, commercial-free. BET+ also hosts a variety of exclusive content, with new original series and movies launching each month, including Emmy-nominated “The Ms. Pat Show,” “Tyler Perry’s Zatima” and “All the Queen’s Men”, “The Impact Atlanta”, “College Hill: Celebrity Edition,” “Martin: The Reunion,” “First Wives Club” and “Carl Weber’s The Family Business” and “The Black Hamptons,” to name a few. Visit BET.Plus or follow @BETPlus to learn more.