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:
| 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. |
|
| Family Matters – Lost in Space Urkel and Laura postpone their wedding when he is launched into space in order to test his latest gadget. |
|
| Family Matters – Lost in Space Urkel (Jaleel White) fixes his spacecraft from the outside in order to return to Earth and see Laura (Kellie Williams) again. With Reginald VelJohnson. |
|
| Family Matters – The Mama Who Came to Dinner Carl (Reginald VelJohnson) is not happy about his mother (Rosetta LeNoire) coming to live in his already crowded household. Guest stars: Mark Linn-Baker, Bronson Pinchot. |
|
| Family Matters – Two Income Family The Winslows must cut costs when Harriette (JoMarie Payton-France) loses her job. With Reginald VelJohnson and Telma Hopkins. |
|
| Family Matters – Short Story Rachel's (Telma Hopkins) first published short story hits too close to home for certain members of the family. With JoMarie Payton-France and Reginald VelJohnson. |
|
| The Neighborhood – Welcome to the Bully When Grover gets into a fight with a bully at school, Gemma is torn between her role as principal and wanting to protect her son; Calvin encourages Marty to stand up to his own bully, only to be shocked when he learns who it is. |
|
| The Neighborhood – Welcome to the Fresh Coat When Tina decides it's time to make home improvements, Dave volunteers to repaint the Butler house, violating Calvin's "man code" and setting off a chain of events that impacts both families. |
|
| The Neighborhood – Welcome to Co-Habitation When Dave accidentally knocks out the Butlers' power during a heat wave, Calvin and Tina spend the night at the Johnsons' home; Malcolm has some fun at Marty's expense when he crashes at his little brother's refurbished apartment. |
|
| The Neighborhood – Welcome to Soul Food The Butlers and Johnsons decide to go on a double date, and they all get more than they bargained for at a new restaurant; Grover invites Malcolm and Marty to be the first guests on his new podcast. |
|
| The Neighborhood – Welcome to the Wagon Dave and Tina discover a common bond when they attend a concert together; Gemma seeks the Butlers' help when an unwelcome visitor takes up residence in the Johnson home. |
|
| The Neighborhood – Welcome to the Vow Renewal As Calvin and Tina near a milestone anniversary, Dave and Gemma decide to help the Butlers have the wedding they missed out on the first time around; Malcolm and Marty prepare an unforgettable performance for their parents' special occasion. |
|
| The Neighborhood – Welcome to Bowling Calvin and Dave team up for a chance at bowling championship glory; Gemma and Tina face off against each other for the top ranking in an arcade game. |
|
| 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. |
|
| Movie – Boyz N the Hood Three boys become men, one (Cuba Gooding Jr.) guided by his father (Larry Fishburne), in their racially divided Los Angeles neighborhood. |
|
| Movie – Bad Boys Undercover Miami detectives (Martin Lawrence, Will Smith) switch lives while investigating murders linked to stolen heroin. |
|
| Movie – Bad Boys II Two detectives (Martin Lawrence, Will Smith) uncover a conspiracy involving a drug kingpin (Jordi Mollà) while trying to stop the trafficking of Ecstasy in Miami. |
|
| 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. |
|
| Martin – Love Is in Your Face With Gina (Tisha Campbell) now living in New York, Martin (Martin Lawrence) searches his feelings and comes to a decision about their future. |
|
| Martin – Arms Are for Huggin' Martin and Gina (Martin Lawrence, Tisha Campbell) spend a weekend together at a couples retreat to prepare for their wedding. |
|
| Martin – Guard Your Grill Martin (Martin Lawrence) agrees to take part in a charity boxing match without knowing who his opponent (Tommy Hearns) will be. |
|
| Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns – Meet the Faithless and the Faithful Brown thinks he has a secret weapon to win a gospel choir contest that he has lost six straight years; Cora's childhood friend is frustrated with her marriage. |
|
| Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns – Meet the Truth Brianna gets suspended from school; after playing a prank on Brown, two wannabe frat brothers must work for him. |
|
| Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns – Meet the Class Cora gets a job as a substitute teacher, thinking that she will teach "little angels." |
|
| Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns – Meet Career Day Will convinces Brianna to let him come to her school's career day because her real father is in prison. |
|
| Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns – Meet Brown Meadows Brown gets more than he expects when he fulfills his father's dying wish by opening a retirement home. |
|
| Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns – Meet London and the Competition Brown interviews prospects for a handyman position before hiring a man named Jesus, who is studying to be a lawyer. |
|
| Martin – You're All I Need Gina (Tisha Campbell) gets a sexy make-over after a client's wife (Kenya Moore) catches Martin's eye. With Martin Lawrence. |
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