Appointment Reinforces ViacomCBS’ Strengthened Position as the Industry’s Largest Commissioner of Black Premium Content
ViacomCBS (NASDAQ: VIAC, VIACA) today announced that Scott M. Mills has been promoted to Chief Executive Officer of BET, the nation’s leading provider of quality content from Black creators. The announcement was made today by President and CEO of ViacomCBS, Bob Bakish, and Chairman and CEO of Showtime Networks, David Nevins.
During his four-year tenure as BET President, Mills sparked invaluable change that structured and positioned the legacy brand for future success in a rapidly evolving media landscape. Since his appointment in 2018, Mills expanded the BET brand well beyond the framework of a traditional cable network, into the multi-platform media powerhouse that it is today with the launches of BET+, a premium subscription streaming service; BET Studios, an innovative studio venture providing equity ownership to Black content creators; BET’s wide-reaching digital platforms and footprint; and much more. Bringing A-list content creators into the fold, Mills set new precedents for BET, and, by extension, ViacomCBS, making the global media brand the largest commissioner of Black premium content through partnerships with Tyler Perry, Lena Waithe, Kenya Barris, Lee Daniels, and many others.
“Under Scott’s leadership, BET has reached new heights with continued commercial success and profound cultural impact during a period of immense industry and social change,” said Bob Bakish, President and CEO of ViacomCBS. “Scott has been instrumental in the expansion of the BET brand as the premier destination for Black entertainment and top talent, and he has spearheaded transformative initiatives that not only give back to the community but also play a critical role in representation in front of and behind the camera. BET is a source of inspiration and pride across the company, and I’m excited for BET’s strong future ahead with Scott at the helm.”
Under Mills’ executive leadership, BET will continue to build upon its 40-year legacy of entertaining Black audiences and its commitment to entertain, engage, and empower the Black community. Philanthropy has always been central to BET’s mission, however Mills’ dedicated social impact strategies have inspired company- and industry-wide change. One such example is Content for Change, a multi-pronged initiative that leverages data to effect societal change and combat bias, that was recently adopted across the entire ViacomCBS organization. Whether investing in Black communities, discovering, and fostering Black creatives and talent, or rallying Black leaders across business, media, and entertainment to raise nearly $20M in COVID-19 relief to support Black communities hit the hardest by the virus, BET remains the industry leader in Black premium content and steadfast in its duty to the Black community.
“BET is uniquely positioned to thrive at the intersection of content, community, and culture,” said Mills. “Through the power of the BET brand, our incredible team and great partners, we’ve established leading business franchises across linear, streaming, digital, and most recently, content development and distribution. It is an extraordinary privilege to steward such a culturally significant brand with an enormous legacy as a catalyst for change. As CEO, I look forward to working with my immensely talented BET colleagues and our great partners to ensure that BET continues to thrive and remains ideally positioned to succeed in the ever-changing media landscape.”
For more information about BET, visit BET.com, watch and stream through your devices, and follow BET on social via Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and more.
About ViacomCBS
ViacomCBS (NASDAQ: VIAC, VIACA) is a leading global media and entertainment company that creates premium content and experiences for audiences worldwide. Driven by iconic consumer brands, its portfolio includes CBS, Showtime Networks, Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, CBS All Access, Pluto TV and Simon & Schuster, among others. The company delivers the largest share of the US television audience and boasts one of the industry’s most important and extensive libraries of TV and film titles. In addition to offering innovative streaming services and digital video products, ViacomCBS provides powerful capabilities in production, distribution and advertising solutions.
For more information about ViacomCBS, please visit www.viacomcbs.com and follow @ViacomCBS on social platforms.
VIAC-IR
About BET
BET, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc. (NASDAQ: VIACA, VIAC), is the leading provider of premium entertainment, music, news, digital and public affairs content for Black audiences worldwide. BET linear is in 125 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, Brazil, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, sub-Saharan Africa and France. BET is one of the most well-known Black consumer brands worldwide, with multi-platform business extensions including BET Studios, an unprecedented studio venture that offers equity ownership for Black content creators; BET+, the preeminent streaming service for the Black audience; BET Digital, including BET’s wide reaching social platforms and BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET HER, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks – BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET’s events and experience business; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.
