Scott Mills Exiting BET, Louis Carr to Take Over as President
Scott Mills, president and CEO of BET Media Group, is departing after 23 years with the company. His exit comes about four months after the formation of Paramount Skydance, following the acquisition of Paramount Global by David Ellison’s Skydance Media.
Louis Carr, currently BET‘s president of media sales, will take over as president, reporting to George Cheeks, chair of TV media at Paramount Skydance. Carr will also continue in to serve as head of media sales. In addition, BET Studios is moving under CBS Studios; it will continue to be led by Aisha Summers-Burke.
Mills didn’t provide a reason for his exit from BET. “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,” Mills wrote in a memo to staffers Wednesday. “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.”
Mills was promoted to CEO of BET in 2021, after serving a variety of positions at BET, including president and COO for BET Networks. As president of digital media, Mills launched BET Mobile and BET’s digital video distribution operations. Before becoming CFO, Mills was executive VP and COO of BET Interactive, overseeing the launch of the network’s website.
Mills joined BET as senior VP of business development in 1997, after working in investment banking at Lehman Brothers and serving as deputy treasurer of the city of Philadelphia. A native of New York, he received a bachelor of science degree in economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Read Mills’ full memo:
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
