LOS ANGELES—The BET+ streaming service has announced that it will launch a new lower-priced ad-supported tier called BET+ Essential on June 25 for $5.99 a month.
BET+ Essential will offer access to the exclusive original programming lineup from BET+ and its expansive library featuring more than 2,000 hours of content from creative forces such as Tyler Perry, Gabrielle Union, Lee Daniels, Mary J. Blige, and Kevin Hart.
The June 25 launch day is the same day at the “BET Awards” 2023 live broadcast.
Essential members will have access to the same features and video quality as current BET+ members; the only difference: limited video ads.
“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, 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 non-linear options in reaching the highly coveted, digital-native Black consumer market,” added Louis Carr, president of Media Sales, 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.”
