Soul Train brand acquired by Viacom’s BET Networks

Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.

NEW YORK (AP) — Soul Train is on track for acquisition by BET Networks, the company announced Monday.

Assets acquired include one of the largest libraries of African-American, music-oriented content in the world, including over 1,100 television episodes and 40 television specials, the company said.

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Owning Soul Train’s intellectual property will allow BET to further build on the success of the Soul Train Awards, which BET re-launched in 2009, and strengthens the network’s commitment to original content.

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Richard Gay, BET’s executive vice president of strategy and operations, pointed to a Broadway play and a concert tour as examples of Soul Train-related opportunities ahead.

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Soul Train, whose eponymous series began syndication in 1971, has been acquired from InterMedia Partners and The Yucaipa Companies.

BET Networks is a division of Viacom.

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