Showtime has partnered with BET to launch a co-branded channel titled, SHOxBET.
Showtime Networks chief exec David Nevins and BET Networks president Scott Mills met to discuss how to better reach the Black audience.
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According to Variety, Showtime and BET share the same popularity with African American viewers.
“Both platforms really understand premium programming to African American viewers, and [understand] people who value content anchored in African American narratives and African American stories,” Mills told the outlet.
The merger of Viacom, owner of BET, and CBS, owner of Showtime, created ViacomCBS Jan. 2020. This merger created room for Lena Waithe’s creativity to assist in connecting the two networks.
Nevins and Mills found common ground through Waithe’s shows.
Nevins was attracted to airing Twenties on Showtime, and Mills desired to air The Chi on BET. Through the shows she created, Waithe’s work helped to fortify the connection between BET and Showtime.
Waithe has also worked on projects such as Dear White People, Queen and Slim, and the newly adapted television series Boomerang, which also airs on BET.
Both networks have agreed to share content on SHOxBET, programming the following shows for viewers: Twenties, The Chi, and many other shows such as Desus & Mero, House of Lies, and more. Still, there is push back from people who believe that the cable stations are pandering to the African American community.
According to Vox, people want to know how are these companies supporting Black communities?
Showtime CFO Tom Christie weighs in, suggesting that shows like The Chi and Desus & Mero already speak to issues and topics important to people of color. He goes on to say that they function as a “foundation from which [the network] can build.”
“The goal for Showtime is to become broader, more accessible to different demo targets. And we think this is a very good first step to get there,” Christie continued.
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ViacomCBS owns and operates several other premium television networks. The co-branded channel, SHOxBET, will replace Showcase and SHO Beyond in the Showtime Networks Inc. portfolio.
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