In what marks a bold move from the Viacom owned network, BET have announced the birth of a new syndication deal…that will see them house the hit ABC drama ‘Scandal’!
Announced today via Lynne Segall‘s ‘The Hollywood Reporter‘, the network have inked a deal with ABC which will see them air re-runs of the political drama this summer, and – more importantly- air episodes from its forthcoming season, no more than eight sooner after it airs on its mother network.
Kicking off this August, this deal will see BET air a ‘Scandal’ marathon up until the launch of its third season, due out via ‘Grey’s Anatomy‘ mastermind Shonda Rhimes in the Fall.
On the venture, the network’s chairman Debra Lee explained:
“We’re thrilled to be joining forces with ABC in airing this dynamic series. Scandal is a cultural phenomenon that has resonated with viewers for the past two seasons and we’re excited to be part of its continued journey.”
No doubt an attempt to push the series to BET‘s African American base, the Kerry Washington led show currently ranks as the #1 series within the demographic, while pulling in an average audience figure of 2.8 million each week.
Through this deal, ‘Scandal’ becomes the first scripted drama to be acquired by the company, which also houses the Akil driven pieces, ‘Being Mary Jane’ and ‘The Game‘.
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