ViacomCBS said it promoted Scott Mills to CEO of its BET unit, which provides content for African-American viewers.
Mills had been president and has been running BET since Debra Lee stepped down as chairman and CEO in 2018.
“Under Scott's leadership, BET has reached new heights with continued commercial success and profound cultural impact during a period of immense industry and social change," ViacomCBS CEO Bob Bakish said in a statement. "Scott has been instrumental in the expansion of the BET brand as the premier destination for Black entertainment and top talent, and he has spearheaded transformative initiatives that not only give back to the community but also play a critical role in representation in front of and behind the camera. BET is a source of inspiration and pride across the company, and I'm excited for BET's strong future ahead with Scott at the helm.”
Mills helped expand BET from its cable channel legacy to a multi-platform programmer with subscription streaming service BET Plus and BET Studios.
"BET is uniquely positioned to thrive at the intersection of content, community, and culture," said Mills. "Through the power of the BET brand, our incredible team and great partners, we've established leading business franchises across linear, streaming, digital, and most recently, content development and distribution. It is an extraordinary privilege to steward such a culturally significant brand with an enormous legacy as a catalyst for change. As CEO, I look forward to working with my immensely talented BET colleagues and our great partners to ensure that BET continues to thrive and remains ideally positioned to succeed in the ever-changing media landscape."
Also: BET's Scott Mills on Providing a Platform For Change
Million joined BET in 1997 as senior VP of business development. He held a number of more senior positions before becoming executive VP and chief administrative officer at Viacom. He returned to BET as president, overseeing its day-to-day operations including programming, ad sales and digital.
