Overview

• CEO Scott Mills confirmed the indefinite suspension on BET’s cable channel and said the awards will be reimagined rather than permanently canceled.
• Nielsen data show music award viewership has fallen over 30 percent since 2015, with the 2025 BET Awards losing half its audience year over year.
• Pew Research Center reports that by 2024, 85 percent of Americans aged 18–34 were consuming more content on platforms like YouTube and Twitch than on cable TV.
• Internal discussions include moving the ceremonies to streaming services or digital platforms and adopting hybrid formats with interactive fan voting and short-form content.
• BET will maintain other events such as the flagship BET Awards, the NAACP Image Awards and the Stellar Awards on its linear network.