BET is one of the best entertainment channels and a destination for many viewers. It’s so popular that it is included in most streaming service plans. Read on to learn all the options available to cord-cutters.
In a hurry? If you want to get watching BET now and don’t care to deal with all the options, try one of these services:
- Fubo: With 150+ channels, it offers something for everyone. Fubo allows you to try out its service with a free trial!
- Philo: Super inexpensive live TV streaming service with 7-day free trial.
- Sling TV: Probably the best streaming service in terms of customization with a 50% discount your first month.
If you can’t watch your favorite sports, TV and movies because of your location, try ExpressVPN to get access to the content you deserve. Signup now.
Table Of Contents
There may be others now, but BET was the original Black-owned, Black-focused channel. It goes all the way back to 1980 when it was just a two-hour weekly programming block on USA Network consisting of music videos and reruns of African-American sitcoms.
BET continued to grow in viewership, and in 1991 became the first Black-controlled TV company to be listed on the NYSE. The channel began experimenting with original programming, before and after it was purchased by Viacom in 2001.
Though today BET faces competition for the African-American demographic, it remains one of the most widely distributed cable channels, reaching over 90 million American households.
But you don’t have to have a cable subscription to find out what’s going on with your fave Tyler Perry series — read on to find out how to keep on watching BET without cable.
BET and Related Channels
BET has spawned a number of spin-off channels over the years:
- BET Her: The self-described “first network designed with Black women in mind,” it features Black women-led programming such as BET Her Presents: The Couch (short films that explore themes of mental health) and The Waiting Room (a short film series that follows various women after they are diagnosed with breast cancer). It also features conversations with leading Black women like Michelle Obama and Kamala Harris.
- BET Soul: Originally VH1 Soul, this channel keeps a focus on new and classic R&B and soul music videos (with a side of rap, hiphop, jazz, and other soul-influenced and influencing genres). It features artists like Big KRIT, Robert Glasper, Koffee, Common, PJ, Maxwell, Skip Marley, Tomi Thomas, Trevor Jackson, and CANDIACE.
- BET Jams: The former MTV Jams plays hip-hop and rap music videos, sometimes overlapping a little with BET Soul. Occasionally they run themed blocks such as “West Coast Wednesday,” “Slow Jams”, “Throwback Thursday,” and “Face-Off Friday.” Featured artists include Babyface Ray, Domani, Vado, Capella Gray, Lil Donald, and Chlöe.
The networks are now part of the larger Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS) family, which includes CBS, MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, and Paramount Network.
While BET may have been the first, there are now a number of channels that target African-American viewers: AMC Networks‘ Allblk, aspireTV, Black News Channel (BNC), TV One and Cleo TV, the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), and Showtime’s SHOxBET.
BET is a pay-TV channel, meaning you can’t pick it up free “over the air” (OTA) with an antenna. You need a subscription to a pay-TV service to watch it. That service used to be only through cable or satellite. But now there are over a half-dozen companies that offer the same channels at lower prices, with no long-term commitments or contracts.
Which services carry BET? Take a look at the next section to find out.
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Streaming Services with BET
Because BET has been around so long and is such a staple channel, it shouldn’t be surprising that every major streaming service carries it. This is great for you the viewer because it means you can look at the features that each service provides and choose the one that’s right for you.
You have the whole bunch to choose from. While all the services offer BET, and a few have BET Her, only FuboTV also has BET Jams and BET Soul, so we’ll start there.
FuboTV
FuboTV started off as an attempt to make European soccer more accessible to Americans. Today it’s expanded well beyond that to cover all kinds of sports all over the world, plus a great non-sports selection.
Fubo’s plans start at 130+ channels for $79.99/mo, which includes BET, all the Paramount Global channels (Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, Nick, Paramount), and Oprah Winfrey Network.
The three BET spin-off channels are part of the Fubo Extra add-on, which is an additional $7.99/mo. As mentioned before, this is the only place you’ll find BET Soul or BET Jams on a live-streaming service. SHOxBET is part of the Showtime premium package for $10.99/mo.
FuboTV can stream on up to 10 devices at a time and comes with 1000 hours of cloud DVR and all your local network stations.
Our FuboTV review has more details.
Philo
Philo is a really sweet deal: over 60 live TV channels for $25/mo and no, that’s not a typo. You can stream on up to three screens at a time, and you have unlimited cloud DVR storage. They also have one of the more solid Black channel line-ups: BET, BET Her, aspireTV, Cleo TV, Oprah Winfrey Network, and TV One.
On the downside, you get no local channels, no Warner/Turner or NBCUniversal stations, and not a single sports station, which is a deal-breaker for a lot of people.
Check out our Philo review for all the details.
Sling TV
The base Sling TV plans are $40.00/mo, and both come with BET, Comedy Central, MTV, and Nickelodeon.
Allblk and SHOxBET are both available as premium channels. Sling also offers 50 hours of DVR storage, and Sling Blue includes your local NBC and Fox stations. Save 50% on Sling TV now!
Read our Sling TV review for more information.
DIRECTV STREAM
DIRECTV STREAM (formerly AT&T TV) features over 75 channels in its Entertainment plan for $79.99/mo. It includes BET, all of BET’s CBS sister channels, and the Black News Channel. If you upgrade to the $108.99/mo Choice package, you’ll also get Cleo TV, TV One, and Oprah Winfrey Network.
In addition, the Choice package has regional sports networks so you can catch all your local teams’ games regardless of where you live. Go up another tier to Ultimate ($119.99/mo) and there’s aspireTV and BET Her.
All packages offer streaming on unlimited different devices around your home at a time, unlimited cloud DVR (as long as you sign up online), and all your local networks.
See our DIRECTV STREAM review for more information.
Get DIRECTV STREAM Free for 5 Days
Hulu + Live TV
Hulu has a great on-demand library, but Hulu + Live TV takes its service to the next level. For $76.99/mo, you get over 85 live TV channels, ESPN+, and Disney+. You also get unlimited cloud DVR with 9 month storage and streaming on up to 2 screens at a time.
Hulu Live’s channels include BET, all your network stations, and all the Paramount Global networks. BET Her is available in the Entertainment add-on for $7.99/mo. And you can get SHOxBET with any premium Showtime subscription through Hulu for $10.99/mo.
Read our Hulu + Live TV review for more.
Vidgo
Vidgo is a good mid-level service: 110+ channels for $69.99/mo, streamable on up to 3 devices simultaneously. The Plus plan includes BET, aspireTV, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, Oprah Winfrey Network, and TV One.
Unfortunately, Vidgo doesn’t include any DVR storage or on-demand content. It’s also missing all AMC Network, Warner/Turner, and NBCUniversal channels. But it does include ABC and Fox and a good selection of sports channels.
See our Vidgo review for more.
Other Ways to Stream BET
There are a few more ways to keep up with your favorite BET shows:
- YouTube TV: A similar service to Hulu + Live TV, you get 100+ channels for $72.99/mo, including BET and BET Her.
- BET Now: Has BET content available for on-demand streaming. Most of it requires a pay account to access but some is available free to watch.
- Pluto TV: Paramount Global’s free multichannel service has both a BET Her and a BET Pluto TV channel. BET Her offers content similar to the pay channel, but Pluto’s BET is exclusively movies, no series.
- Paramount+: Paramount Global’s low-cost on-demand streaming service has content from all their biggest brands, including BET.
BET+
BET+ is a Black culture-focused on-demand video service presented by BET and Tyler Perry Studios. Perry, who was previously producing series exclusively for OWN, has now switch to exclusive production (about 90 episodes annually) for Paramount Global (which owns BET).
Like most network-centric streaming services, it features a selection of original series that are only on BET+ such as Sacrifice, American Gangster: Trap Queens, Tyler Perry’s Ruthless, and First Wives Club. It also shows classic comedy hits like Martin, The Parkers, The Jamie Foxx Show, and The Bernie Mac Show.
Subscriptions are $9.99/mo after a seven-day free trial.
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TVs and Streaming Devices for BET
You can stream BET on most modern TVs and devices. All the services we’ve highlighted support the “stick” devices: Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and Roku.
Android and iOS mobile devices are also universally supported. And you can cast from them (and some web browsers) to your TV with Chromecast.
Except for DIRECTV STREAM, all the services support devices based on Android TV.
Other than Philo and Vidgo, all the services allow you to watch BET on Samsung smart TVs. Hulu + Live TV, FuboTV, and Sling TV also allow LG and Vizio smart TVs. You can use FuboTV with Hisense TVs.
Hulu, Sling, and FuboTV support the Xbox One gaming console. Hulu + Live TV also supports the PlayStation and Nintendo Switch.
These are just the most popular devices supported. There are complete lists in our individual streaming service reviews.
Today’s BET Schedule
Here is today’s schedule in Eastern Time:
| Tyler Perry's House of Payne – Neighborhood Crisis Malik and Summer work a crisis hotline; Curtis is eager to catch a criminal. | |
| Tyler Perry's House of Payne – Down for the Count C.J. is offered perks as a city official; Miranda and Curtis bond. | |
| Tyler Perry's House of Payne – Stop, Drop and Roll C.J. and Janine have a fight that carries over into the office; Malik takes a class on evolution. | |
| Tyler Perry's House of Payne – No Pass; No Play Malik tutors an athlete. Curtis causes a PR scandal for C.J. and Janine. | |
| Family Matters – A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Read A scientific accident leaves Urkel (Jaleel White) with the ability to read minds. With Reginald VelJohnson. | |
| Family Matters – Stevil II: This Time He's Not Alone The ventriloquist dummy Stevil and his new friend Carlsbad haunt Urkel and Carl (Jaleel White, Reginald VelJohnson). | |
| Family Matters – Trading Places Stephan and Urkel trade places to test Laura's feelings; Eddie tapes the police department for a school project. | |
| Family Matters – A Pain in Harassment Urkel can win $1 million by sinking a halftime shot at an L.A. Clippers game; Harriette has trouble with her boss. | |
| My Wife and Kids – What Do You Know? A question-and-answer game reveals that the couples may not know as much about their significant others as they thought. | |
| My Wife and Kids – Fantasy Camp Michael cannot concentrate on anything else after he learns that he will be going to Michael Jordan's fantasy basketball camp in Las Vegas. | |
| My Wife and Kids – Fantasy Camp At fantasy basketball camp, scheduling mix-ups force Michael to be inventive in order to get a chance to play with his idol, Michael Jordan. | |
| My Wife and Kids – The Fellowship of the Baby Michael tells Jr. that "Jr., Jr." is a magic baby that will increase his intelligence every time he holds him. | |
| Martin – The Great Payne Robbery After his apartment is robbed, Martin (Martin Lawrence) joins a neighborhood watch group. Guest star: Richard Moll. | |
| Martin – Baby It's Cole'd in Here Martin (Martin Lawrence) must find a way to get Cole (Carl Anthony Payne II) to move out while still retaining his friendship. | |
| Martin – Radio Days Martin (Martin Lawrence) finds himself attracted to a visiting talk-radio star (Kim Fields) who co-hosts his show. | |
| Movie – Heist When their attempt to rob a gangster's (Robert De Niro) casino goes awry, a desperate man (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and his partner (Dave Bautista) hijack a city bus to escape from the police and a maniacal thug (Morris Chestnut). | |
| The Neighborhood – Welcome to the Spare Key Dave gives Calvin a key to his house in case of an emergency and is pleasantly surprised when the gesture is reciprocated. | |
| The Neighborhood – Welcome to the Housewarming When everyone but Calvin accepts Dave and Gemma's invitation to their housewarming party, Dave decides he's finally had enough of Calvin's refusal to welcome him to town. | |
| The Neighborhood – Welcome to Game Night Unexpected revelations are in the cards during the Johnsons' first game night with the Butlers; Gemma is prompted to rectify a past wrong; Malcolm makes a play for a fresh start with his father, Calvin. | |
| The Neighborhood – Welcome to the Anniversary Nothing goes as planned when Dave sets up an anniversary celebration for Gemma and Calvin, and Tina baby-sits the Johnsons' son, Grover. | |
| The Neighborhood – Welcome to the Barbershop Dave is embraced by the patrons of the community barbershop, much to Calvin's dismay. | |
| The Neighborhood – Welcome to Thanksgiving Dave and Gemma host a memorable Thanksgiving in their new home; Dave's politically incorrect mother visits from out of town and meets the Butler family for the first time. | |
| Movie – What Men Want Magically able to hear what men are thinking, a sports agent uses her newfound ability to turn the tables on her obnoxious male colleagues while racing to sign the next basketball superstar. | |
| Kingdom Business – Fear Is Not My Future Denita receives shocking news from her mystery miracle man; Rbel's personal life descends into chaos; Taj warns Caesar against signing Sasha; Calvin confronts a dangerous threat. | |
| Martin – Blackboard Jungle Fever Gina (Tisha Campbell) becomes insanely jealous when she catches Martin (Martin Lawrence) embracing his former teacher (Beverly Johnson). | |
| Martin – The Night He Came Home After teasing the others for scaring easily, Martin (Martin Lawrence) experiences a terrifying Halloween seance. | |
| Martin – I've Got a Secret Martin (Martin Lawrence) must make amends after he reveals a secret about Pam (Tichina Arnold) while on the air. | |
| Martin – Do the Fight Thing Martin (Martin Lawrence) is reluctant when Stan (Garrett Morris) encourages him to invite Gina (Tisha Campbell) back on his show. | |
| Martin – I Saw Gina Kissing Santa Claus Martin (Martin Lawrence) reluctantly agrees to play Santa for Tommy's (Thomas Mikal Ford) Big Brothers program. | |
| Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns – Meet the Attraction Cora and Brown have to take a CPR class taught by Reggie; Brianna becomes jealous. | |
| Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns – Meet the Shopaholic Cora gets addicted to internet shopping; Brown finds an artifact in the backyard. | |
| Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns – Meet the Patience An old lady continues to show up at Cora's door; Brianna gets her first job. | |
| Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns – Meet the Telethon When Sasha hosts a telethon to raise $100,000, Mr. Brown knocks out the star. | |
| Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns – Meet the Intervention An intervention is planned for a lotto addiction; a boy makes an innocent pass at Brianna. | |
| Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns – Meet the Dealmaker A friend of Reggie's tries to recruit one of Reggie's players. | |
| Martin – The Break-Up Martin (Martin Lawrence) becomes dramatically depressed when a minor quarrel with Gina (Tisha Campbell) escalates into a breakup. Richard Pryor guest stars. | |
| Martin – The Break-Up Tension grows when Gina (Tisha Campbell) dates Pam's (Tichina Arnold) cousin (David Alan Grier) and runs into Martin and his new girlfriend (Martin Lawrence, Lark Voorhies). | |
| Martin – The Break-Up Billy Dee Williams guest stars on Martin's (Martin Lawrence) radio show and gives him advice about Gina (Tisha Campbell). |
Wrapping Up
So whether you prefer the female-empowerment bonding of Sistas or the power games of Boomerang or the high drama of The Oval, you don’t need a cable company to watch all your Tyler Perry faves.
Just subscribe to any of the streaming services listed in this article. and tell your cable bill goodbye for good.
FAQ
What shows are on BET?
Recent popular BET original shows include:
- Boomerang
- Death Row Chronicles
- Games People Play
- Hit the Floor
- Murder In The Thirst
- The Oval
- The Quad
- Tales.
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