Tyler Perry Confirms Interest In Acquiring BET Not A Rumor: 'I'm Gonna Take As Much Of It As I Can'

Tyler Perry is ready to add more titles to his name!

The actor and producer have confirmed his intention to acquire the famous American primary cable channel targeting the black community, Black Entertainment Television (BET). The TV station is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks, with offices in New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

Perry has affirmed that the speculation that he has his eyes set on acquiring Paramount's majority stake in the TV network if the opportunity ever presents itself is accurate. Without mincing words, he recently stated: 

"Rumor? No, it's not a rumor. I've been there for four years and have [had] tremendous success. I wasn't expecting this to happen, so, yes — if that is possible, I'm very interested in taking as much of it as possible."

Even though the "Madea" creator is aware of the long list of celebs, including P. Diddy and Bryon Allen, who have the same plans as him, he was still excited about the idea. Explaining that the "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" lead told ET:

"This is what I love about it. When Bob Johnson [BET co-founder] sold it in 2000, I think it was, there wasn't one Black person who could buy it. So now, to see all of these Black people, men, and women, who are able to be in a position to buy it? Man, that makes me feel really, really excited."

The renowned filmmaker further admitted that while the current owner — Shari Redstone — had done a "phenomenal job" of maintaining BET's vision, there would be "happiness when it's Black-owned again."

Perry disclosed that Redstone has no problem returning the station to black owners, indicating that talks were underway with a final resolution close by. Opting for secrecy about the timeline of the acquisition becoming formal, the 53-year-old screenwriter added, "We can very much say that there are conversations. I am beyond interested."

As for his acquisition competition — Diddy, The Blast reported that the rapper shared the reason for wanting to purchase the beloved cable channel with his fanbase last month. The "I'll Be Missing You" hitmaker uploaded a screenshot of the tweets addressing the issue on Instagram, with the words reading:

"Media is the most powerful industry in the world but it's the industry where we have the least amount of ownership, influence, and control! It's time for @BET to be Black-owned again so we have the power to tell our own stories, control our own narrative! This is not about me it's about WE!!!!"

The record producer claimed he is developing "a team of leaders in the culture to pursue ownership" of the media properties. He also told his fans that there had to be unity in "our power and resources" if they wanted to "create real change!"

The Combs Wines & Spirits founder has since deleted the post.

Perry backed his talk with action when he revealed his intent to buy a building to prevent an FDA Laboratory from moving into it. According to The Blast, the "Sistas" showrunner wanted to buy the Forces Command building, a former United States military training complex across the street from his Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta.

His main concerns about the FDA lab owning it arose from the toll that the fumes from the outfit would take on his numerous cast and crew if they inhaled it consistently. Unfortunately, the director missed his first shot at obtaining the property — called the McPherson Implementing Local Redevelopment Authority (MILRA) — after it was sold to Easterly Government Properties in 2019.

The plan for the FDA lab to occupy and have it running by 2021 has not materialized yet, giving Perry a second shot at it. "I would gladly buy the buildings at a premium to not have smokestacks on the property. If they do not sell the building to me, the best outcome would be not to have the smokestacks with the environmental impact in an all-Black neighborhood," the father-of-one expressed.

Mark Bauer, the executive VP of Easterly Government Properties of the FDA, has since refuted Perry's claims.