BET to make huge HBCU move this Fall

BET is set to increase its investment in HBCU athletics this fall. In an interview with The Grio, BET President Louis Carr confirmed that HBCU basketball will become a major focus of the network’s sports programming while also revealing a documentary centered on former NBA veteran and Tennessee State standout Robert Covington.

According to TheGrio, Covington’s story is among several sports-related projects currently in development.

“The work has only expanded through upcoming documentaries focused on LL Cool J and Queen Latifah, and former NBA star Robert Covington about his journey from playing four years at Tennessee State to playing a decade in the NBA.”

The publication also reported that HBCU basketball will play a prominent role in BET’s sports programming plans moving forward.

“For what it’s worth, Carr and BET have already established deals with Ice Cube’s Big 3 basketball league to broadcast games on Mondays. And in the fall, HBCU basketball will be a chief priority in terms of fall content.”

The development aligns with comments Carr made earlier this year about expanding BET’s live programming through sports. Speaking with Forbes in April, Carr explained that sports would be one of the network’s key areas of investment as BET continues evolving its programming strategy.

“I think that we have probably a better chance than most brands that are serving our community… because we’ve continued to sort of be profitable. And I think when we look at what is our new operating model, one of the first things I’m trying to do is to get more swings at bat to get more content on the air. And whether that is looking at sports, we’re looking at comedy, bringing comedy back, so we’re trying a lot of different things to sort of figure out what works in today’s marketplace.”

Carr’s latest comments also come after The Grio highlighted an April HBCU Pulse on ClutchPoints editorial that called for BET to once again become a major home for HBCU athletics.

“But when BET got out of the game of HBCU football, we suffered. A lot of our games were relegated to platforms people didn’t know about or to ESPNU and ESPN3. HBCU football was not getting the spotlight that it rightfully deserved—not because of celebrities, but because of the high level of play the players have been delivering for years.”

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