BET Establishes Strong Presence in Africa

NEW YORK, December 17: Black Entertainment Television (BET) is now available in 29 countries in sub-Saharan Africa on multiple platforms, adding to the channel’s international reach that already includes the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean and the U.K.

Through an agreement with GTV, BET can be seen in 21 countries, and with a deal with MultiChoice, BET will initially launch on DStv in 11 countries. The network, aimed at African Americans and consumers of Black culture, airs series such as 106 & Park, a music and variety series; Baldwin Hills, a docudrama-style reality show; Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is, centered on platinum-selling R&B recording artist Keyshia Cole; and Real Life Divas, which takes an up-close look at a number of female celebrity icons.

"Expanding into Africa is an extremely important, exciting and rewarding move for us," said Debra L. Lee, the chairman and CEO of BET Networks. "With our launch in Africa on both GTV and DStv, BET Networks is continuing to build on our commitment of providing high-quality content to international audiences."

"We’re so excited to establish a presence in Africa, as these key partnerships give us valuable scale in the region," added Michael D. Armstrong, the senior VP and general manager of BET International. "Africa makes great strategic sense, and we’re confident that we’ll continue to grow and deliver content to viewers across the continent who are eager for the programming we offer."

MultiChoice Africa’s CEO, Eben Greyling, commented, "Our general-entertainment lineup has grown over the past decade to include the world’s biggest and best channel brands and the addition of BET to this lineup completes our multichannel general-entertainment offering and means that our subscribers will get the greatest selection of channel choice on DStv."

"We’re delighted to have BET on board," said Julian McIntyre, the founder and managing director of GTV. "Our service continues to break new ground in multiplatform content distribution and this partnership reflects our commitment to bring the best tailored content to our viewers at the most competitive costs. This announcement demonstrates again the strengths in content and innovation that position GTV well for sustained growth."

—By Kristin Brzoznowski