US black entertainment channel to launch in UK

by Daniel Farey-Jones, Brand Republic 21-Feb-08, 11:00

LONDON - US black entertainment TV channel BET is launching in the UK on Sky on February 28, with a line-up of shows including 'College Hill' and 'American Gangster'.

BET Networks is part of Viacom, and the channel's UK ad sales will be handled by Viacom Brand Solutions. It has not yet been allotted a Sky channel number but is expected to be located in the lifestyle and entertainment section of the EPG.

BET, which is available in 87m households in the US, Canada and the Caribbean, is expanding outside North America for the first time.

The UK channel will start life reliant on shows from the US, but plans to eventually introduce UK-produced content.

Its programming includes the music video countdown, performance and interview show called '106 & Park', 'College Hill', a reality TV series featuring black students and 'American Gangster', which explores the rise and fall of some of Black America's most notorious crime figures.

Michael D Armstrong, senior vice-president and general manager of BET International, said: "For the UK version of BET, we will be giving BET's US content a regionalised look and feel that reflects the UK marketplace, and as we grow and develop the channel, we look forward to partnering with the UK creative industry to give BET an even stronger British accent."

The channel's marketing and PR strategy, which is handled by the Glen Yearwood Group, will focus on outdoor advertising and experiential campaigns engaging with viewer communities.

According to Glen Yearwood, outdoor media specialist IPM will manage the outdoor ads, which are created in-house. His agency will oversee the experiential campaigns.

Yearwood has been helping BET to prepare the ground for the UK launch for the last two years by working to raise the brand's profile.

This included sponsoring the Black Film Makers Short Film Awards and a dance troupe in the Notting Hill Carnival, as well as including a Best British Artist category, voted for by UK fans, in the US BET Hip Hop Awards.

The UK launch plans include a March 1 launch party hosted by R&B artist Alicia Keys.