THE 2017 “BET AWARDS” REIGNS SUPREME AS THE #1 CABLE AWARDS SHOW AMONG P18-49 FOR THE 3^RD CONSECUTIVE YEAR (2015-2017) AND WINS THE NIGHT AS THE #1 TV SHOW AMONG P18-49 ON SUNDAY, JUNE 25

#BETAWARDS 2017 LIT UP THE SOCIAL-SPHERE AS THE #1 MOST SOCIAL PROGRAM OF THE WEEK AND #1 MOST SOCIAL CABLE SPECIAL OF 2017

“BET AWARDS” PROVES TO BE A POWERFUL MULTIPLATFORM PLAYER AS BET.COM VIEWS CATAPULT OVER 200% AND BET’S TV EVERYWHERE AND CONNECTED DEVICE APP VIEWS RISE 145%

BET EXPERIENCE AT L.A. LIVE PRESENTED BY COCA-COLA^® RETURNS FOR A FIFTH YEAR ATTRACTING THOUSANDS OF FANS TO DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES

Los Angeles, CA – June 27, 2017 – The LIVE premiere of the 2017 "BET AWARDS" on Sunday, June 25, is now the #1 Cable Awards Show among P18-49 for the 2017 broadcast season, claiming the #1 spot for the third consecutive year. Additionally, the 2017 "BET AWARDS" continued its reign as television’s #1 Cable Awards Show among African Americans 18-49 - retaining the title for 16 consecutive years (‘02-’17 on BET alone). The best-in-class show ranked as the #1 TV Show on its Premiere Night among P18-49, as well as the             #1 Ad-Supported Cable Show on Premiere Day (10 Years Straight among P18-49).  Filled with buzzworthy moments, the 2017 "BET AWARDS" dominated social media as the #1 Most Social Program of the entire week, with a total of 10.5MM Total Interactions across Facebook and Twitter  [Source: Nielsen Social Content Ratings, Weekly Report (6/19-6/25/17) Linear Episodes ranked on Total Interactions].

The premiere telecast of the 2017 "BET AWARDS" drew 5.8MM Total Viewers P2+ (EDAC) , as it was simulcast live across 9 Viacom networks including MTV, VH1, Comedy Central, Logo, Spike and Centric.  In total, the 2017 "BET AWARDS" premiere reached 18.1MM P2+ and 8.5MM P18-49 (Awards only; EDAC).  The premiere telecast garnered a 3.47 P18-49 (EDAC) rating across 9 Viacom Networks. Fans were treated to an immersive experience as the network broadcast live for seven hours including the BET Pre-Show (6-8 p.m. EST) and BET Post-Show (12 a.m. – 1 a.m. EST); as well as the 2017 "BET AWARDS" premiere (8 p.m. –12 a.m. EST) which garnered 3.8MM Total Viewers P2+ and a 2.3 P18-49 rating in the demo, on the network.  Recognizing artists, entertainers, and athletes in over 20 categories, the 2017 "BET AWARDS" aired live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.*

BET Social Media blazed social timelines on multiple platforms with viewers documenting every moment of this celebrity filled and unforgettable night. The live telecast of 2017 "BET AWARDS" reigns again as the #1 Most Social Program of the WEEK and #1 Most Social Cable Special of 2017 [#3 on all TV; excluding political events]. A total of 10.5MM Total Interactions across Facebook and Twitter about "BET AWARDS" were generated by 3MM people in the U.S.  On Snapchat, the event generated 53 MM Impressions (plays and views) of the custom BET Awards lens, as BET’s hyper-engaged fans shared their snaps in real-time.

"BET AWARDS" continues to have an impassioned fanbase on Twitter, generating more interactions per person (7.1) than top broadcast specials. The 2017 "BET AWARDS" was also the #1 Most Social Episode of the Day on 6/25/17 (10.5MM).  BET now has the Top 4 Most Social Cable Specials on Twitter of 2017 with “BET Awards” and “The New Edition Story”! [Source: Nielsen Social Content Ratings]

BET Digital’s metrics soared across its sites and apps with engaging must-see "BET AWARDS" content.   Video views grew an impressive +202% on BET.com and +145% across BET’s TV-Everywhere and Connected Device Apps (vs. day of awards prior year).  BET's first global live stream on Twitter, BET Awards Backstage: Access Granted,hosted by comedians, Chris Spencer (“Real Husbands of Hollywood”) and Zainab Johnson (“Def Comedy Jam”), garnered 1.6MM unique viewers during the live airing. The BET Experience App saw significant growth in engagement and users versus last year as well (May 1 – day of awards, same time period for last year) with 27% more downloads, 105% more sessions and an average session time of 7 minutes. [Source: Adobe Analytics]

The 2017 "BET AWARDS"  was hosted by comedian and actress Leslie Jones, of “Saturday Night Live” fame, in her first major award show hosting role.  The night kicked off with an electrifying performance from Bruno Mars, and featured the highly-anticipated reunion performance of 90s R&B group, Xscape, as members Kandi Burruss and Tameka “Tiny” Cottle showed that they still have it.  Original boy band superstars, New Edition, took home the Lifetime Achievement Award, and were honored with a showstopping tribute performance from the full cast of BET’s smash biopic “The New Edition Story” that brought the crowd to its feet.   In a special surprise taped message, former First Lady Michelle Obama introduced this year’s Humanitarian Award to Chance the Rapper, who has raised over two million dollars for public schools in his hometown of Chicago. Additional highlights included performances from Chris Brown, Migos, DJ Khaled, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar and Future; as well as appearances by Queen Latifah, Jamie Foxx, Issa Rae, Yara Shahidi, Solange Knowles, Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs, and Jada Pinkett Smith.  For a list of winners, performances and must-see moments visit www.bet.com/betawards.

For the fifth consecutive year, the BET Experience at L.A. LIVE presented by Coca-Cola® attracted thousands of visitors to the downtown Los Angeles area for a 4-day music, comedy and entertainment festival. Held at the Los Angeles Convention Center, the FREE Fan Fest included a series of family-friendly interactive activations; dynamic live concerts from today’s hottest artists such as Cardi B, Young M.A., Dave East and PnB Rock; Genius Talks powered by AT&T including Issa Rae, Ava DuVernay, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Nick Cannon; Gospel Showcase and special broadcast editions of “106 & Park: Live from the 2017 BET Experience.”The BET Experience also featured fan-favorite Sprite® Celebrity Basketball Game & Dunk Contest, as well as thrilling nightly concerts at STAPLES Center from A-list artists including DJ Khaled, Snoop, Bryson Tiller, Migos, Wiz Khalifa, Gucci Mane, A$AP Rocky, and Desiigner.

Official sponsors of the 2017 "B ET AWARDS" included Coca-Cola®, sponsor of the Viewer’s Choice Award for Favorite Song of the Year, and #BET Instastar Contest; Nissan North America, Inc., sponsor of the BET Music Stage and red carpet; Walmart, sponsor of the Humanitarian Award; and My Black is Beautiful, sponsor of Shine a Light Honorees.

The 2017 "BET AWARDS"  took place in Los Angeles at the Microsoft Theater, along with the BET Experience at L.A. LIVE presented by Coca-Cola from June 22-25. The show aired live on Sunday, June 25, 2017 at 8 p.m. EST/PST.

An additional encore viewing of the "BET AWARDS" 2017 aired immediately following the Post-show at 12:00am EST.  Fans can catch additional airings on Tuesday, June 27^th at 4pm EST, Thursday, June 29^th at 8pm, and Saturday, July 1^st at 1:30pm.

The 2017 "BET AWARDS" will premiere around the world on BET’s international networks. It will air in the UK on Tuesday, June 27th at 9:00pm BST, in Africa on Tuesday, June 27th at 8:00pm CAT, and in France on Wednesday, June 28th at 9:00pm CEST. Internationally, fans in 100 countries were also able to stream the 2017 "BET AWARDS" and red carpet live with BET Play, BET International’s subscription video on demand application.

Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment served as Executive Producer. Connie Orlando, BET's Senior Vice President of Music and Specials, served as Executive Producer for BET Networks.

*Source: The Nielsen Company (Fast Nationals & StarMedia Reports) | Live + Same Day Data Stream | #1 Cable award show for 3 consecutive years refers to: 2016-17 BET Season-to-Date (09/26/16-06/25/17); 2015-16 BET Season (9/28/15-09/25/16); and 2014-15 BET Season (9/29/14-9/27/15) and #1 Cable Award show for 16 consecutive years refers to CY’02-CY’17-to-date Year Based on NHI Calendar (12/31/02-06/25/17) | Primetime Mon-Sun 8pm-11pm | All Cable Telecasts excluding repeats, sports, general drama, reality, and news | Ranked on Impressions (000)s. | Subject to qualifications which will be supplied upon request.

ABOUT “BET AWARDS”

The “BET AWARDS” is one of the most watched award shows on cable television according to the Nielsen Company. The “BET AWARDS” franchise remains as the #1 program in cable TV history among African-Americans. It recognizes the triumphs and successes of artists, entertainers, and athletes in a variety of categories.

ABOUT BET NETWORKS

BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks - BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET’s growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.

ABOUT AEG

AEG is the world’s leading sports and live entertainment company. AEG, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Anschutz Corporation, owns, operates or consults with a collection of companies including over 100 of the world’s preeminent facilities such as STAPLES Center (Los Angeles, CA), StubHub Center (Carson, CA), PlayStation Theater (Times Square, New York), Mercedes-Benz Arena (Shanghai, China), Qudos Bank Arena (Sydney, Australia), Mercedes-Benz Arena (Berlin, Germany), and The O2 arena and entertainment district (London, England). Developed by AEG, L.A. LIVE is a 4 million square foot / $2.5 billion downtown Los Angeles sports, & entertainment district featuring Microsoft Theater and a 54-story, 1001-room convention "headquarters" destination. In addition to overseeing privately held management shares of the Los Angeles Lakers, assets of AEG Sports include franchises such as the LA Kings, LA Galaxy and the Amgen Tour of California cycling stage race. Along with AEG Facilities, other global divisions include AEG Live, the world’s second largest concert promotion and touring companies comprised of touring, festival, exhibition, broadcast, merchandise and special event divisions and AEG Global Partnerships, responsible for worldwide sales and servicing of sponsorships, naming rights and other strategic partnerships. In 2010, AEG launched its AEG 1EARTH environmental program featuring the industry's first sustainability report while in 2011, AEG introduced AXS a comprehensive entertainment platform serving as the company’s primary consumer brand including AXS Ticketing which provides fans the opportunity to purchase tickets directly from their favorite venues via a user-friendly ticketing interface, Examiner.com and the AXS TV network, a linear cable channel focusing on live entertainment and lifestyle programming available in nearly 40 million homes. AEG’s European headquarters are located in London. Global headquarters are in Los Angeles. For more information, visit: www.aegworldwide.com.

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