Black Entertainment Television (BET) has turned to the digital realm for new content. The cable and satellite channel picked up three original web series from entertainment and lifestyle network Black&Sexy for airing on linear television.
The first series picked up by BET is RoomieLoverFriends, which debuts on September 16, 2015, at 11 PM EST on the cable channel. The drama series, written by Black&Sexy co-founders Dennis Dortch and Numa Perrier and premiering online in 2012, follows the story of two roommates whose relationship gets complicated after they find themselves in bed together. Directed by Dortch, RoomieLoverFriends will have one hour-long episode aired each week on BET.
BET will also run Black&Sexy’s Sexless series, which debuted in early 2015 and follows a group of female friends who decide not to have sex to try to find real, lasting relationships. Finally, BET will air episodes of the 2013 series Hello Cupid, about a young, dark-skinned woman who decides to conduct a sort of social experiment by swapping out her profile picture on an online dating site for one of her lighter-skinned friend to see how men would react.
Subscribe to get the latest creator news
“We noticed Black&Sexy TV has a dedicated fanbase, and their fans’ obsession for this content mirrors the obsession our audience has for BET and our content,” said Pete Danielsen, BET’s EVP of Program Planning, Scheduling, and Acquisitions, to Variety.
This is not the first time Black&Sexy’s niche content has attracted the attention of a cable channel. Back in January 2014, HBO signed a pact with Black&Sexy to turn the digital network’s popular web series The Couple into a linear TV show, executive produced by Spike Lee. The comedy series stars Perrier and Desmond Faison and has pulled in 1.5 million views across all its episodes and related video platforms (like Black&Sexy’s video subscription service hosted via VHX).
