Who owns BET?
BET is owned by Paramount Skydance (the United States, NASDAQ: PSKY), which has owned the brand since 23 January 2001.[1]
Key facts
- Current owner
- Paramount Skydance Corporation verified
- Owned since
- Previous owner
- None recorded
- Owner HQ
- 🇺🇸 United States, Los Angeles, California
- Origin
- 🇺🇸 United States, Washington, D.C.
- Founded
- 1980
- Category
- Media & entertainment › Film & television › Television networks
- Parent ticker
- NASDAQ: PSKY
- Last verified
- · 1 sources
About BET
BET was founded in 1980 as the first American television network aimed at a Black audience, and its founder became the first Black billionaire when it was sold to Viacom in 2001 for about $3 billion. Its founder Robert Johnson later sold the network and bought a basketball team, and the channel continues to run the BET Awards, one of the largest annual showcases of Black music and film.
Ownership timeline of BET
- 2001 – present Paramount Skydance [1] verified
Where BET sits in Paramount Skydance
Controlling ownership as of . Brands grouped under the entity that owns them; large groups are collapsed.
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Other brands owned by Paramount Skydance in media & entertainment
Latest news about BET
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Frequently asked questions
Who is the parent company of BET?
The parent company of BET is Paramount Skydance, a publicly listed company headquartered in the United States.
Is BET American?
Yes. BET originated in the United States in 1980 and its owner, Paramount Skydance, is also headquartered in the United States.
Since when has Paramount Skydance owned BET?
Paramount Skydance has owned BET since 23 January 2001.
Is BET still owned by Paramount Skydance?
Yes. As of 16 September 2026, BET is still owned by Paramount Skydance. The ownership record was last checked against primary sources on that date.
Sources (1) & corrections
Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.
- [1] Paramount Skydance Corporation Annual Report on Form 10-K filed 2026-02-25 — SEC EDGAR, SEC Form 10-K, published 25 February 2026; retrieved 16 September 2026.
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