ATLANTA (2UrbanGirls) – Tyler Perry will reportedly be named the new majority owner of the BET Media Group.
According to Black Enterprise, the deal would give Perry complete control over BET Media Group as well as VH1. Speculation of a buyout came as funding for several BET projects was pulled last week, including some in Atlanta, home of Tyler Perry Studios.
Perry hasn’t been shy about his intentions to purchase the network, which was founded by Bob Johnson in 1980.
“Rumor? No, it’s not a rumor,” Perry said to Entertainment Tonight. “I’ve been there for four years now and had tremendous success. I wasn’t expecting this to happen, so, yes — if that is possible, I’m very, very interested in taking as much of it…”
Black Entertainment Network began as a tiny cable outlet and in 1991 became the first Black-controlled company to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
Johnson sold the network to Viacom in 2001.
When it was reported that BET would go up for sale, Byron Allen and Sean “Diddy” Combs also announced their interest in the purchase.
Perry has been a mainstay on the BET Network for nearly a decade with shows across the BET and BET+ platforms.
