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.
Unblock Your Favorite Movies and Shows With a VPN
If you can’t watch your favorite movies and shows because of your location, a VPN will allow you to get the access you are entitled to, plus extra security and unequalled privacy. Check out our VPN Guide for everything you need to know, including our top pick ExpressVPN.
Other brands worth checking out include Hotspot Shield and CyberGhost.
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.
Superpower Your Live TV Streaming With a VPN
You can’t beat a VPN for privacy, security, and access. We have used them for years as an important part of our streaming toolkit and we recommend ExpressVPN. Other brands worth checking out include Hotspot Shield and CyberGhost.
| i | See our VPN Buyer’s Guide for complete information on how to choose the best VPN for your needs. |
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:
| Movie – Eddie Murphy Raw The comedian does a Bill Cosby impression and discusses life, women and sex in a stand-up show in New York. |
|
| Movie – Eddie Murphy Raw The comedian does a Bill Cosby impression and discusses life, women and sex in a stand-up show in New York. |
|
| 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 Sweet Tooth Sasha helps Cora lose weight; Brown convinces residents to sell candy to try to win a vacation. |
|
| Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns – Meet the Matrimony Edna returns home with news that she's engaged; Will agrees to appear on a calendar at the hospital for charity. |
|
| Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns – Meet the Man and the Mouse Will and Sasha decide to move out of Brown Meadows; Brown and the Colonel go to war against a mouse. |
|
| Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns – Meet the Real Dad Brianna and Joaquin's father shows up at the house after being released from prison. |
|
| Family Matters – Stake-Out Harriette (JoMarie Payton-France) gets jealous when Carl (Reginald VelJohnson) goes on a lengthy stakeout with a policewoman (guest star Olivia Brown). J.W. Smith also guest stars. |
|
| Family Matters – False Arrest Carl (Reginald VelJohnson) charges an egotistical celebrity (guest star Ron Glass) with assault after being pushed to the limit. With JoMarie Payton-France. |
|
| Family Matters – Basketball Blues Carl (Reginald VelJohnson) pushes Eddie (Darius McCrary) to try out for the high-school basketball team despite the boy's reluctance. With JoMarie Payton-France. |
|
| Family Matters – The Quilt Laura (Kellie Shanygne Williams) sells the priceless quilt Grandma Winslow (Rosetta LeNoire) hoped to keep as a family heirloom. With JoMarie Payton-France. |
|
| Family Matters – Laura's First Date Laura (Kellie Shanygne Williams) gets more dates than she can handle. With Reginald VelJohnson and JoMarie Payton-France. |
|
| Family Matters – Man's Best Friend The children bring home a stray dog that has a habit of chewing on things. With JoMarie Payton-France and Reginald VelJohnson. |
|
| Family Matters – Baker's Dozen The family works hard to fill an order for thousands of Carl's (Reginald VelJohnson) lemon tarts. With JoMarie Payton-France. |
|
| Family Matters – The Big Reunion Carl (Reginald VelJohnson) decides to lose weight before going to his high-school reunion. With JoMarie Payton-France. |
|
| The Neighborhood – Welcome to the Dealbreaker When Gemma sets a reluctant Malcolm up on a blind date with a teacher at her school, she discovers new details about the origins of her relationship with Dave; Marty helps Calvin and Tina plan for their future. |
|
| The Neighborhood – Welcome to the Digital Divide Calvin reluctantly agrees to let Marty create a website for his auto shop in hopes of drumming up more business; Dave makes it his mission to prove to his son that there's more to life than his favorite gadgets. |
|
| The Neighborhood – Welcome to the Scooter When the Johnsons' Christmas present for Grover is stolen, Calvin and Dave team up to recover the gift in time for the holiday; a nostalgic Tina tries to get into the Christmas spirit by reviving traditions from when Malcolm and Marty were kids. |
|
| The Neighborhood – Welcome to the Freeloader Dave's patience is tested when Gemma's freeloading sister suddenly shows up with plans for an extended stay; Calvin grows frustrated that Malcolm is still living at home. |
|
| The Neighborhood – Welcome to the New Pastor Tina spends time with the charming new minister she helped select for her church; Calvin suspects the man may be coveting more than just job security; Marty gets a surprise when he finally meets his disruptive, new upstairs neighbor. |
|
| The Neighborhood – Welcome to Trivia Night When Calvin and Dave get shown up by Gemma and Marty at a local bar's trivia night, the pair hatch a plan to redeem themselves; a frustrated Tina decides to take matters into her own hands to finally meet Malcolm's girlfriend, Sofia. |
|
| The Neighborhood – Welcome to the Bad Review Dave puts his professional conflict mediation skills to the test when he offers to help Calvin find out why his employees are quitting. |
|
| The Neighborhood – Welcome to the Hockey Game After Calvin enjoys attending a hockey game with Dave, Malcolm and Marty wonder if their neighbor is rubbing off too much on their dad; Tina decides to enjoy the perks that come with her "stardom" when she's mistaken for an A-list celebrity. |
|
| Movie – Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas Madea (Tyler Perry) accompanies her niece to the country for a surprise holiday visit with the niece's daughter, but what they find when they arrive prompts Madea to dish out her own brand of Christmas spirit. |
|
| Movie – Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion A Southern matriarch (Tyler Perry) deals with a host of personal and family issues while planning her clan's upcoming reunion. |
|
| Movie – Tyler Perry's A Madea Family Funeral A reunion turns into an unexpected nightmare when Madea, Joe and other family members gather for an anniversary. Instead of fun and relaxation, the gang soon find themselves attending an elaborate funeral that doesn't quite go according to plan. |
|
| Movie – Tyler Perry's Madea's Witness Protection Placed under federal protection in Madea's (Tyler Perry) Southern home, a Wall Street banker (Eugene Levy) and his dysfunctional family get a taste of the no-nonsense matriarch's special brand of tough love. |
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.
Ditch “Big Cable” Now – 3 Simple Steps to Cut the Cord
- Pick the right streaming service
- Get the content you deserve with the best VPN.
- Supercharge your internet provider
That’s it — you’ll save money, take back control, and enjoy TV more!
Page Updates ▼▲
-
Updated some sub-sections. Updated some section headings. Image changes.
-
Added buttons for streaming services. Added VPN info. Image changes. Mentioned offers. Formatting.
-
Updated some sub-sections. Image changes. Pricing updates.
-
Image changes. Pricing updates. Additional links.
-
Added a few links. Pricing updates. Various changes to content.
-
Pricing updates. Mentioned offers. Put related links.
-
Added sub-section. Added links to streaming services. Updated some sub-sections. Updated some section headings. Pricing updates.
-
Updates to a section. Updated some sub-sections.
-
Coming Soon: New Arrivals On Hulu Live In August And Beyond - 07/31/2022 -
How to Watch Live TV on Hulu - 07/17/2022 -
Top 15 Cities With the Most Baseball Victories - 07/15/2022