Watch BET Online (Without Cable): Best Choices to Stream Your Fav Shows Live

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:

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.

Sign Up for a Free Fubo Trial

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.

Sign Up for a Free Fubo Trial

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.

Try Philo Free for 7 Days

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.

Save 50% on Sling TV Now

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.

Try Hulu + Live TV Today!

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.

Try Vidgo Today!

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:

11:30am	Martin – Best and Bester Martin's anxieties come to a head when he tries to decide whether Tommy or Cole should be his best man.
12:00pm	Martin – Wedding Bell Blues As the big day approaches, Martin and Gina (Martin Lawrence, Tisha Campbell) find their relatives have taken over their wedding.
12:30pm	Martin – Wedding Bell Blues Martin and Gina escape the pandemonium at home and finally have the perfect wedding ceremony.
1:00pm	Martin – Martin in the Corner Pocket The newly married Martin (Martin Lawrence) defies Gina (Tisha Campbell) and goes out for a night of pool with the guys.
1:30pm	Martin – Kill Him With Kindness Momma Payne's paranoia and a series of mishaps lead Martin (Martin Lawrence) to believe Gina (Tisha Campbell) is plotting to kill him.
2:00pm	Martin – Blow, Baby, Blow Gina and Pam (Tisha Campbell, Tichina Arnold) compete to impress Martin's (Martin Lawrence) old friend (Biggie Smalls as himself).
2:30pm	Martin – Love T.K.O. Martin (Martin Lawrence) and Gina's (Tisha Campbell) plan for a romantic weekend alone are knocked out by Tommy (Thomas Mikal Ford) and Pam (Tichina Arnold).
3:00pm	Movie – The Wedding Ringer A socially awkward groom (Josh Gad) begins an unexpected bromance with the guy (Kevin Hart) he hired to pose as his best man at his upcoming nuptials.
6:00pm	Tyler Perry's House of Payne – That Sounds Sweet After selling cakes and cookies at the church bake sale, Ella decides to go into business; Malik must learn to play the saxophone for a talent show.
6:30pm	Tyler Perry's House of Payne – Meet the Lucases A health scare makes family members realize how much they need one another; a visit from Miranda's parents sends Calvin into a panic.
7:00pm	Tyler Perry's House of Payne – Out on a Limb Ella and Claretha take Jazmine on a wilderness trek to help her earn a Girl Scout badge; Calvin looks for an engagement ring to give Miranda.
7:30pm	Tyler Perry's House of Payne – Can't Buy Me Love Calvin gets cold feet when he is ready to propose to Miranda, and his friends offer to help.
8:00pm	Tyler Perry's House of Payne – To Have and to Hold When Calvin wants to propose to Miranda, Jazmine loses the engagement ring; Dana and Delante want to keep their relationship a secret; Janine makes a surprise appearance.
8:30pm	Tyler Perry's House of Payne – Unexpected Results When Jazmine gets a perfect score on an aptitude test, her teacher encourages C.J. and Janine to send Jazmine to a school for gifted students in North Carolina.
9:00pm	Movie – Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit A Las Vegas singer (Whoopi Goldberg) teaches a mother superior's flock how to rock and save the school from closure.
12:00am	Martin – He Say, She Say Martin (Martin Lawrence) thinks the woman Cole (Carl Anthony Payne II) has fallen for is wanted in more than one way.
12:30am	Martin – Uptown Friday Night Cole (Carl Anthony Payne II) gets robbed after picking up Gina's (Tisha Campbell) gift at the jewelry store for Martin (Martin Lawrence).
1:00am	Martin – Old School Loving Martin's (Martin Lawrence) interference causes Gina (Tisha Campbell) to lose her job and become a full-time homemaker.
1:30am	Martin – Cole on Ice When Cole (Carl Anthony Payne II) loses his job at the airport, Martin (Martin Lawrence) offers him a position at the cable station. Guest star: Charles Barkley.
2:00am	Martin – Housekeeper From Hell Martin and Gina (Martin Lawrence, Tisha Campbell) finally agree on a housekeeper (Marla Gibbs) but soon regret their choice.
2:30am	Martin – Three Homies and a Baby With a little help from his friends, Cole and Tommy (Carl Payne, Tommy Ford), Martin (Martin Lawrence) baby-sits a newborn.
3:00am	Martin – Headin' for Trouble Gina's (Tisha Campbell) new bed becomes uncomfortable when her head gets stuck in the headboard. With Martin Lawrence.
3:30am	Martin – Swing Thing While attending a Christmas party at the invitation of Gina's client, Martin and Tommy learn the guests are swapping partners.
4:00am	Real Husbands of Hollywood – Fifty Shades of Brown Kevin makes a make-up deal; the guys compete to be the next James Bond; Boris is bald.
4:30am	Real Husbands of Hollywood – The Suitor Kevin dates a young actress.
5:00am	Real Husbands of Hollywood – Kevin and Nick are Wack Kevin and Nick have a rap war; Jackie and Bridgette go on game show called Spouse Smarts.
5:30am	Real Husbands of Hollywood – Hart in the Hood Kevin goes to live in the hood to get his mojo back.
6:00am	Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns – Meet the Dependents and the Divas When Carmen asks Sasha and Will to be foster parents, they hesitate because of their busy schedules.
6:30am	Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns – Meet My Family When Brown tires of the chaos from the residents in the house, he decides to throw a surprise Family Day to occupy them; frat brothers entertain the residents.
7:00am	Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns – Meet My Maker When Ms. Edna becomes depressed, Cora initiates a "This Is Your Life" night to show that she is appreciated; Brown mistakenly thinks Jesus is gay.
7:30am	Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns – Meet the Babies When Brianna's pregnant friend goes into labor while staying at the house, Brown must deliver the baby himself.
8:00am	Tyler Perry's House of Payne – The Loan Ranger Malik finds out his friend is gay; Curtis loans Ella money.
8:30am	Tyler Perry's House of Payne – Payneful Divorce Malik and Summer have their marriage annulled; Miranda temps at the office when Janine needs an assistant.
9:00am	Tyler Perry's House of Payne – Up to the Challenge Malik takes caffeine pills irresponsibly; Curtis subs for Ella at a Help Center training program.
9:30am	Tyler Perry's House of Payne – House of Sabotage Janine and Miranda fight while trying to co-chair a Help Center event; Malik wants to keep wearing his wedding ring.
10:00am	Family Matters – Throw Steve From the Train Carl (Reginald VelJohnson) spends a weekend with Urkel (Jaleel White) after his nerdy neighbor unwittingly joins him on a business trip. Guest star: Kristoff St. John.
10:30am	Family Matters – Don't Make Me Over After a cosmetic makeover, Myrtle decides she likes her old self better.
11:00am	Family Matters – Pop Goes the Question Laura (Kellie Shanygne Williams) faces a dilemma when both Urkel and Stefan ask for her hand in marriage. With Jaleel White.
11:30am	Family Matters – Lost in Space Urkel and Laura postpone their wedding when he is launched into space in order to test his latest gadget.

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.

Sign Up for a Free Fubo Trial

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.