Scott Mills, who serves as president and CEO of BET Media Group, will vacate the role in a few weeks after serving at the company for more than two decades. Scott Mills informed BET staff of his moves via an internal memo and thanked his predecessors for paving the way for his ascension.
Deadline reports that Scott Mills informed the staff of his decision this week and finalized his exit over the past couple of weeks. As president of BET Media Group, Mills, a New York native, oversaw BET’s cable business, BET Studios, and BET+.
Mills worked as an investment banker before his time with BET and met its former owner, Robert L. Johnson, who hired the Wharton School graduate. Mills was the SVP, Business Development for Viacom, BET’s former parent company, in 1997. He then worked as COO of BET Interactive, CFO, and President and COO of the network.
Afterwards, Mills went to Viacom to serve as its EVP and Chief Administrative Officer, overseeing Human Resources, Media Technology Services, Real Estate, Programming Acquisitions, Facilities, and Security. He was named president of BET in 2017 and CEO in 2021.
Some of Mills’ notable moves were the creation of BET Studios with Kenya Barris and Rashida Jones, and spearheading the BET+ streaming platform development and launch. With Paramount being acquired by Skydance, BET was absorbed into Paramount’s TV division along with CBS and other former Viacom channels.
Read Scott Mills’ memo to his staff in full below:
Dear Team,
After 23 years at BET, I’ve made the difficult decision to step down as President and CEO. Leading this extraordinary brand and serving the Black community alongside all of you has been an incredible honor and privilege. Your talent, passion, and unwavering commitment to BET’s mission have driven all that we’ve accomplished as a team. As I reflect on our journey, I’m deeply proud of what we’ve built.
When Bob Johnson asked me to join BET many years ago, I saw it as an opportunity to learn from America’s most successful Black entrepreneur. It proved to be a master class in bold vision and exceptional execution, culminating in the advent of the Black American billionaire.
This visionary approach continued under Debra Lee, who guided BET’s transition from music video programming to premium scripted originals and cultural tentpoles, greenlit groundbreaking hits like THE GAME, BEING MARY JANE, and THE NEW EDITION STORY; and elevated the BET brand.
When I returned to lead BET in 2018, the industry was confronting the inexorable decline of cable. Recognizing this, the BET team set about executing yet another bold, visionary plan: expanding BET beyond cable.
We launched BET+, which quickly grew to millions of subscribers and doubled our content production. We aggressively extended our digital footprint and grew our cable share. We followed our streaming success with the launch of BET Studios and then established a critical beachhead in the rapidly expanding FAST ecosystem with our co-branded 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.
The Black creative community’s support was instrumental to our success. From our record-breaking partnership with Tyler Perry – yielding countless hits and the #1 series on TV for Black audiences – to Lee Daniels delivering BET’s first primetime Emmy and Tony nominations and introducing us to the incredibly talented Ms. Pat and Jordan Cooper. From Queen Latifah and Deon Cole leading our celebration of Black excellence, to Taraji P. Henson schooling us on our largest stage, Kevin Hart coming home for the 25th anniversary of culture’s biggest night, and Jesse Collins’ producorial genius – the community’s support has been incredible.
What I cherish most about this journey is working alongside my incredible colleagues; being of service, including partnering with Black business leaders to raise nearly $20 million to support Black Americans during the pandemic; celebrating and supporting our community with outstanding partners like the NAACP and National Urban League; and collaborating with the smartest, boldest, and most talented creative minds in the industry.
Thank you for your partnership, your passion, and your belief in BET. Stewarding the brand has been a privilege, and I remain deeply proud of how we upheld its legacy while transforming it for the future.
With great appreciation,
Scott
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Photo: Getty
