BET+ to Introduce Ad-Supported Tier

BET+ is adding a lower-priced, ad-supported subscription tier this June.

BET+, targeting Black audiences in the U.S., delivers a library of more than 2,000 hours of content from the likes of Tyler Perry, Gabrielle Union, Lee Daniels, Mary J. Blige and Kevin Hart, among others. BET+ Essential will be priced at $5.99 a month and is set to become available on June 25. Ads will be between 15 seconds and 30 seconds in length, playing before and during programming.

“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 of 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 nonlinear options in reaching the highly coveted, digital-native Black consumer market,” added Louis Carr, president of media sales at 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.”