BET, TVN Reach Action PPV Deal

WASHINGTON -TVN Entertainment Corp. has reached an agreement to purchase BET Action Pay-Per-View from Black Entertainment Television, sources close to the situation said.

TVN would acquire the beleaguered analog pay-per-view channel from BET, which did not include the pay-per-view channel in Viacom Inc.'s $3 billion acquisition of the flagship BET basic-cable network and other assets. Sources said BET chairman and CEO Robert Johnson will continue to hold a minority interest in BET Action, which has about 9 million subscribers.

BET was set to shut down the service last Saturday (March 31). BET and TVN representatives would not comment on the matter.