Tyler Perry has reportedly cemented his place in history by acquiring two major television networks.
New reports indicate that the “Madea” creator has won a bid to own BET and VH1, making the former Black again after two decades and becoming the first African-American owner.
The acquisition comes after months of speculation that Perry, rapper Diddy, actor and rapper Curtis Jackson “50 Cent,” and basketball icon Shaquille ‘Shaq’ O’Neal were in the running to buy a majority stake in BET after Paramount Global sought to sell it.
Tyler Perry Looks Like He Has Won a Bid to Keep Ownership of BET
The dream came true just two months after Perry confirmed that rumors about her potentially acquiring BET were true. The actor and producer, who has enjoyed incredible success by partnering with the television network to create the BET+ streaming service, revealed at the time:
“I have been there for four years now and have had tremendous success. If that’s possible, I’m very, very interested in taking as many as possible.”
While the exact financial details of the deal have not been made public, the purchase gives the 53-year-old billionaire control of BET Media Group, which includes other outfits such as VH1. It also allows Perry to make a mark on the future of Black-owned media while amplifying an internationally underrepresented narrative.
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Luckily the star of “The Haves and the Have Nots” didn’t end there, because NNN entertainment claims that he has also signed a lucrative deal with Netflix. For this, the recipient of the 2021 Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award will produce several original projects, including films and series, for the well-known streaming platform.
Perry remained unfazed despite fierce competition battling him for ownership of the television network. If anything, he’s happy that he and several other famous African-Americans can compete for BET, as he noted in April:
“This is what I love about it. When Bob Johnson [BET co-founder] sold it in 2000, I thought it was, not one black person could buy it. So now, to see all these black people, men and women, who can afford to be in a position to buy it? Man, that makes me very, very excited.”
The filmmaker later admitted that while the latest owner — Shari Redstone — has done a “remarkable job” of maintaining BET’s vision and culture, there will be “happiness” when it becomes “Black Owned again.” He went on to hint at his potential ownership, declaring that Redstone had no problem returning cable channels to black owners.
As for Diddy, The Blast observed that he announced his interest in owning a majority stake in BET with a since-deleted Instagram post that featured a screenshot of his previous tweet. In one stroke, he wrote:
“Media is the most powerful industry in the world but it is the industry where we have the least amount of ownership, influence and control! It’s time for @BET to be naturally Black so we have the power to tell our own stories, control our own narrative! This is not about me but about US!!!!”
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The “Coming Home” performer also shared that she is creating “a group of leaders in the culture to pursue ownership” of media properties, reminding fans that African-Americans need to unite with “our power and resources” if they want “real change!”
2020 Primetime Emmy Governor’s Award Recipients See Other Buildings
Perry further endeared himself to fans when it became known that he planned to buy the Forces Command building to prevent the FDA from turning it into one of their laboratories. The Blast notes that the property is a former US military training complex across the street from the “Sistas” director’s Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta.
By buying it, Perry would protect his cast and crew from the fumes they would inevitably inhale if the FDA lab was allowed to thrive. Unfortunately, he missed out on an early opportunity to buy the property after it was sold to Easterly Government Properties.
However, pandemic-related restrictions and the FDA’s decision to postpone their plans for the building slowed down the corporation’s intention to have it up and running by 2021. Additionally, FDA’s Easterly Government Properties executive vice president, Mark Bauer, claimed, “They don’t have enough funding. ” Bauer added:
“We put the project on hold while the government decides how much additional funding is needed.”
With this update, Perry has a second chance to get the building and do what he wants.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
