BET Networks Acquire Soul Train to Make Brand Cool Again

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Viacom Inc.-owned cable network BET Networks said Monday it has agreed to acquire Soul Train from InterMedia Partners and The Yucaipa Companies for an undisclosed sum.

The deal will see BET VIA, -4.17% VIAB, -3.91% gain control of the Soul Train’s entire library of more than 1,100 episodes, intellectual property and brand.

The acquisition is not just a move to gain access to the Soul Train library and rest on the brand’s legacy, said Richard Gay, executive vice president of strategy and operations at BET Networks. He hopes the company, which rebooted the Soul Train awards in 2009, can grow the brand and create other businesses.


“It doesn’t really just rely on the library,” Gay said. “We want to grow [the brand] and expand it to multiple generations. There are opportunities to build all kinds of business, some with TV aspects and some that have nothing to do with TV.”

Soul Train has concerts, tours and even themed cruises under its umbrella already, and there is a Soul Train Broadway musical in the works. Gay is even considering delving into retail and consumer products with the Soul Train brand.

“When you think of Soul Train, it’s music, fashion and really just cool,” Gay said. “Just like BET has a broad range of generational appeal, we think Soul Train can have that same appeal.”