BET Gets Owned by Tyler Perry and Oprah

Last year, TV Titan Oprah Winfrey approached acclaimed film director Tyler Perry to help save her failing OWN Network, and he has delivered in a big way.

The joint partnership between Tyler Perry and Oprah’s OWN Network is crushing the competition — specifically BET.

According to a report in the NY Post, Perry’s first two shows on the OWN Network — Tuesday night’s “The Haves and the Have Nots” and Wednesday night comedy “Love Thy Neighbor” drew record ratings for Oprah’s fledgling network.

“The Haves and the Have Nots,” a drama about a rich family from Savannah, Ga., drew 1.82 million viewers in its second outing, up from 1.77 million in its premiere. And “Love Thy Neighbor” attracted 1.8 million, an increase from 1.65 million viewers for its debut.

Both shows formed a 1-2 punch combination that could knock BET out of the ratings race.

From The NY Post:

Over the past 12 months, BET has lost primetime viewers while OWN has gained, according to an analysis by Horizon Media research chief Brad Adgate.

BET averaged 714,000 viewers in primetime, down from 816,000 in the period spanning June 2011 to May 2012. Over the same time, Oprah’s average audience rose from 250,000 to 315,000.

BET didn’t return requests for comment.

BET, acquired by Sumner Redstone’s Viacom for $2.3 billion in 2000, is still ahead in ad revenue, raking in $360.7 million compared with OWN’s projected $128.1 million.

Adgate said it remains to be seen if Perry’s shows continue their ratings momentum after their big premieres.

“But it’s very encouraging,” he said. “It’s very smart to bring in another strong, successful entrepreneur. That’s a great way to grow the network.”