NEW YORK, NY — May 11, 2026 — BET today announced the launch of the BET Next Gen, a leadership development initiative designed to cultivate the next generation of media and entertainment leaders through hands-on experience, mentorship, and direct guidance from industry-leading communications, creative, and media executives, while offering insight into the creative, strategic, and cultural decisions that have positioned BET as the leading media brand for Black audiences for over 40 years.
BET Next Gen is designed as a multi-track leadership development pipeline, offering participants the opportunity to gain experience across a range of core business functions, including:
Through this expanded structure, the program reflects BET’s commitment to developing top-tier talent equipped to lead across the full media ecosystem spanning storytelling, brand building, audience engagement, and cultural impact.
The Brand Creative track is exclusively open to current HBCU students, reinforcing BET’s long-standing investment in cultivating creative leaders rooted in Black culture and community.
“BET Next Gen reflects BET’s long-standing commitment to creating leadership pathways to the spaces and platforms where culture is shaped,” said Louis Carr, President of BET. “HBCUs have long been incubators of Black excellence, innovation, and creative leadership, and through our Brand Creative track, we’re investing in the students who continue that legacy and amplifying institutions that have shaped generations of Black talent. This program opens doors to hands-on experience across BET’s live events, storytelling, and brand ecosystem, creating pathways that extend far beyond a single moment.”
BET Next Gen members will actively support BET’s marquee tentpoles, including the 2026 BET Awards, contributing both on-site and through longer-term brand and business initiatives. The program is structured to integrate ambassadors into meaningful work while offering mentorship and professional development throughout the experience.
Applications for the BET Next Gen 2026 cohort are now open and will close on May 22, 2026. Interested applicants can apply at BETAmbassadorProgram.Typeform.com/NextGen2026.
ABOUT BET MEDIA GROUP
The BET Media Group, a unit of Paramount, a Skydance Corporation (Nasdaq: PSKY), is the world’s largest media company rooted in community, culture, and connection for the Black community. For over four decades, BET has served as a trusted home for Black audiences, amplifying authentic stories, elevating Black voices, and creating spaces where culture thrives and community comes together.
Through a powerful portfolio of brands—including BET, BET Her, BET Studios, and VH1—along with FAST channels such as BET Tyler Perry Comedy, BET Tyler Perry Drama, BET Comedy Movies, BET Cinema, BET Classics, BET Visionaries, BET Throwbacks, and BET Pluto, BET connects audiences across cable, digital, live events, studios, and global platforms. Together, these platforms deliver culturally resonant content that reflects the depth, creativity, and impact of the Black experience.
For more information, visit www.bet.com and follow @BET on social platforms.
