ViacomCBS will make the channel exclusively available on its online platforms My5 and Pluto TV. The existing linear channel will be closed down.
BET UK will close on Sky and Virgin Media on the 8th April 2021. The channel had already been removed from Freesat, but could continue to be available as a free-to-air channel through manual tuning.
At this point, My5 becomes the official home of BET. In addition, the company has confirmed today that BET will launch a service on Pluto TV UK from 5th April.
BET (Black Entertainment Television) features a mix of programmes from the main BET US channel including Tyler Perry’s The Oval and Sistas, plus original programming for the UK, including Celebrity Comfort Food, a forthcoming social-first series with the working title Black to the Future, and BET Amplifind U.K., the local version of the BET Amplified initiative that showcases up-and-coming musical talent.
ViacomCBS has been busy adjusting its linear TV portfolio over the past few years. It has already axed UK channels including VIVA, VH-1 and 5Spike, moving its programmes over to Paramount Network UK. BET UK has been on My5 on-demand since 2018.