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Tyler Perry has gone from being a filmmaker to one of the world’s most influential media moguls, and for the past several months, he has fueled speculation that he’ll be buying the BET Media Group. Back in March he even stated that he was “beyond interested” in making the sale.

This week, entertainment website The Streamr published — and later removed — a story claiming that Perry was planning to take control of BET by purchasing it from Paramount, but the site quickly retracted the article with no additional clarification.

So, what is the truth behind the purchase of the renowned cable brand, and is Perry looking to buy it? Here’s everything we know:

Who owns the BET Media Group?

At the moment, BET Media Group is owned by Paramount Global, which was formerly known as Viacom.

Is Tyler Perry planning to buy BET?

Perry has spoken openly about his desire to buy BET from Paramount in the past. Back in April, he confirmed a rumor to ETOnline.com that he was definitely interested in buying the brand, saying, “Rumor? No, it’s not a rumor. I’ve been there for four years now and had tremendous success. I wasn’t expecting this to happen, so, yes — if that is possible, I’m very, very interested in taking as much of it…If it’s possible, I’m gonna take as much of it as I can.”

He added that he was also aware of several other high-profile celebrities who were eyeing the brand as well, including Weather Channel owner Byron Allen and music producer Sean Combs.

“I’ve read about Byron Allen and Puffy and everybody wanting to bid and so on and so forth, and I think it’s really great,” Perry said. “This is what I love about it — when Bob Johnson sold it in 2000, I think it was, there wasn’t one black person who could buy it. So now, to see all of these black people, men and women, who are able to be in a position to buy it? Man, that makes me feel really, really excited.”

Back in March, The New York Times reported that another firm, the Miami-based Group Black, was also interested in purchasing the brand.

“We can very much say that there are conversations. I am beyond interested,” Perry said.

Perry has had a longstanding relationship with BET, and he was integral to the launch of their streaming platform BET+, which also is home to a vast library of his shows, including All The Queen’s Men and Ruthless.

Despite his strong roots at the network, neither Perry nor Paramount has confirmed any news of his rumored purchase.

What is the BET Media Group?

A sale of BET would likely include the entire BET Media Group. That portfolio of channels includes all of the brands under the BET umbrella, including music channels like BET Soul, BET Jams, and BET Hip-Hop, as well as BET+ and VH1.