BET Media Group president and CEO Scott Mills is exiting after 23 years with the network, becoming the latest Paramount executive to depart following Skydance’s $8 billion merger.
He first joined BET in 1997 as senior vice president of business development after working in investment banking at Lehman Brothers and serving as Deputy Treasurer of the City of Philadelphia.
Prior to joining the Viacom executive team in 2012, he held a variety of leadership positions at BET, including president, chief operating officer, chief financial officer and president of digital media of BET Networks. During his enture, he oversaw the launch of BET Mobile and the network’s digital video distribution operations. He also oversaw the launch of BET.com.
Mills later served as Viacom’s chief administrative officer, where he was responsible for HR, media technology services, real estate, programming acquisitions, facilities and security. He would return to BET in 2018 as the industry was dealing with the decline of the linear TV business and would expand the network beyond cable with the launches of BET+ and BET Studios and co-branded free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels.
“In short, we transformed BET from a declining legacy cable business into a growing media company with leadership positions across the platforms most relevant to Black audiences,” Mills said in an internal memo to staff. “Stewarding the brand has been a privilege, and I remain deeply proud of how we upheld its legacy while transforming it for the future.”
Mills’ exit comes as Paramount previous regime tried to sell BET Media Group multiple times since acquiring it for $2.3 billion in 2000.
Paramount previously backed off talks to sell its majority stake in BET in 2023. At the time, the company had received interest from Tyler Perry, Allen Media Group founder Byron Allen and Miami-based media company Group Black. Perry publicly criticized the previous bidding process, calling it “disrespectful.”
In 2024, Mills reportedly teamed up with an investor group that included Chinh Chu, founder and senior managing director of the New York-based private equity firm CC Capital, to buy BET from Paramount. But Paramount ultimately has decided to keep the asset.
Under new owner Skydance’s leadership, executives have said that they would hang onto their linear network portfolio rather than spinning assets off.
BET’s media sales president Louis Carr will replace Mills while continuing in his current role, while Aisha Summers-Burke will continue to oversee BET Studios, which will become a label under CBS Studios. Carr will report directly to TV/Media chair George Cheeks.
Additionally, BET’s core operations and department heads will connect more closely with the TV/Media division, which is aimed at creating “alignment, resources, and support across studios while preserving BET’s unique programming brand and point of view.”
“BET remains one of the most iconic brands in entertainment. Together, we will honor this legacy while driving its future growth across platforms and lines of business,” Cheeks said in a separate memo to staff. “With Louis at the helm and our teams aligned, BET is poised to innovate, expand its influence, and set the standard for culturally relevant storytelling in the years ahead.”
Carr is a 39-year BET veteran who has generated billions in advertising sales and forged partnerships with companies such as Procter & Gamble, Walmart, Unilever, McDonald’s, Meta, and Toyota.
“BET and its commitment to Black and Brown communities has been my life’s work,” Carr said in a statement. “It’s a privilege to lead the brand to the next level of excellence and impact.”
