Tyler Perry has nabbed a lucrative deal under the company Viacom, which includes film, television and short-form video production and distribution.
Deadline reports that under the deal, the media mogul will produce approximately 90 episodes of original comedy and drama series annually for BET and other Viacom networks.
“Viacom will have exclusive licensing rights on the TV programming as well as exclusive distribution rights to Perry’s short-form video content,” the report reads. “Additionally, the pact gives Paramount Pictures exclusive first-look rights on Perry’s feature film projects.”
The agreement is similar to the deal that Perry is currently in with the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). The film deal with Viacom will be effective immediately, while the television/short-form video deal kicks off in 2019, when his deal with OWN ends. He’s been in the OWN arrangement since 2012, and has produced scripted television shows for the network such as The Haves And The Have Nots and Love Thy Neighbor.
“Tyler is a prolific creative force, and I’m excited that this collaboration will bring his signature humor and powerful storytelling to Viacom’s audiences while further cementing BET’s position as the leading home for bold, relevant African-American programming and scripted content,” said Bob Bakish, President and CEO of Viacom. Perry himself said that he is “eager” to tell his stories to a “wider audience.”