Scott Mills Announces Departure as BET President and CEO
After leading BET through a period of important change, I have made the tough decision to step down as President and CEO. It has been an incredible honor and privilege to lead this exceptional brand and serve the Black community alongside all of you. Your talent, passion, and unwavering commitment to BET’s mission have driven all that we’ve accomplished as a team, and I am deeply proud of what we’ve built together.
When Bob Johnson frist asked me to join BET many years ago,I recognized it as a unique possibility to learn from America’s most successful Black entrepreneur. That experience proved to be a master class in bold vision and exceptional execution, ultimately contributing to the creation of the first Black american billionaire.
This visionary approach continued under Debra Lee, who successfully guided BET’s evolution from a music video-focused network to one featuring premium scripted originals and major cultural events. She greenlit groundbreaking hits like The Game, Being Mary Jane, and The New Edition Story, significantly elevating the BET brand.
Returning to lead BET in 2018, I immediately recognized the challenges facing the industry with the decline of conventional cable television. In response,the BET team embarked on a bold plan to expand the brand beyond its cable origins.
We launched BET+, which quickly attracted millions of subscribers and led to a doubling of our content production. Simultaneously, we aggressively grew our digital presence and maintained our cable viewership. Building on this streaming success, we established BET Studios and secured a foothold in the rapidly growing FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television) ecosystem through co-branded FAST channels. In essence, we transformed BET from a legacy cable business in decline into a growing media company with leading positions across platforms most relevant to Black audiences.
The support of the Black creative community was vital to our success. Our record-breaking partnership with Tyler Perry yielded numerous hits and the #1 series on television for Black audiences.Lee Daniels delivered BET’s first primetime Emmy and Tony nominations, and introduced us to incredibly talented performers like Ms. pat and Jordan Cooper. We celebrated Black excellence with Queen Latifah and Deon Cole, learned from Taraji P. Henson on our largest stage,welcomed kevin Hart home for the 25th anniversary of our culture’s biggest night,and benefited from the producorial genius of Jesse Collins.
What I cherish most is the opportunity to have worked alongside my incredible colleagues, to be of service – including partnering with Black business leaders to raise nearly $20 million to support Black Americans during the pandemic – and to collaborate with outstanding partners like the NAACP and National Urban League, as well as the smartest, boldest, and most talented creative minds in the industry.
Thank you for your partnership,your passion,and your belief in BET. Stewarding this brand has been a privilege, and I remain deeply proud of how we upheld its legacy while transforming it for the future.
With great recognition,
Scott
