The BET Creator Studio Wants Black Voices. Here's How to Get In.
Black creators have always built culture. Now BET is giving them the infrastructure to own it, and Jason Lee is first through the door.
The trends, the language, the aesthetics that eventually end up on every mood board and mainstream campaign — they started within Black culture. What hasn't always followed? The infrastructure. The distribution. The resources to match the reach.
BET is moving to change that.
BET officially launches the BET Creator Studio, a dedicated platform designed to pair emerging and established Black creators with the tools, resources, and distribution power of one of the most recognized brands in Black media. Think of it as the backend that independent Black creators have been building from scratch for years, now available with the weight of a major network behind it.
And leading the charge as the Studio's marquee series? Jason Lee.
Jason Lee Is The Case Study.
If you know, you know. Jason Lee built Hollywood Unlocked from the ground up into a multi-million dollar Black-owned media empire — the kind of platform that gets you in rooms most people don't even know exist. He's a pop culture critic, author, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. He's also currently serving as Vice Mayor of Stockton, California, where he's worked to secure over $12 million in grants for local youth and partnered with artists like Burna Boy to uplift the city.
Translation: he doesn't just talk about power. He moves it.
The fourth season of his show, The Jason Lee Show, launches April 8 on BET.com and BET's official YouTube channel, with new episodes dropping every Wednesday. Each episode blends access to Lee's day-to-day life with sit-down conversations with celebrity guests — pulling back the curtain on the stories shaping today's public narratives and the people driving culture forward.
"I've been in rooms most people will never get into and now I'm bringing audiences with me," Lee said. "This show isn't just about entertainment. It's about the power of culture: how it's built, how it's kept, and how it's used. BET gives us the platform to tell that story at the scale it deserves."
That scale matters. The creator economy is projected to surpass $500 billion by 2027, according to Goldman Sachs — yet Black creators have historically generated outsized cultural value while receiving underweighted investment and support. The BET Creator Studio is a direct response to that gap.
"I've been in rooms most people will never get into and now I'm bringing audiences with me."
— Jason Lee
What the Studio Actually Is
The BET Creator Studio is a creative engine built to support Black voices across podcasts, digital series, short-form content, and social-first campaigns. The goal is to meet audiences where they are while shaping the future of Black storytelling at scale.
"Black creators have always driven culture, now we're giving them the infrastructure to own it," said Orchid Richardson, SVP of Digital & Social at BET. "The BET Creator Studio is where authentic storytelling meets serious distribution, and that combination is incredibly powerful."
Owning it. Not just creating it. Not just going viral. Owning the narrative, the platform, and the pipeline.
The Room Is Being Built. Are You Walking In?
Here's where it gets personal. The BET Creator Studio is actively looking for creators to join — and that means you.
Whether you're a podcaster, a digital storyteller, a content creator with a point of view that deserves more than an algorithm, this is the kind of opportunity that doesn't come around often. A legacy brand offering real infrastructure to independent voices is not something to scroll past.
Now Streaming
The Jason Lee Show
BET Creator Studio — Flagship Series
Premiere
April 8, 2026
Time
8:01 AM ET / 7:01 AM CT
New Episodes
Every Wednesday
Watch On
BET.com + YouTube
Watch Now
Apply to BET Creator Studio → betcreatorstudio@bet.netThe Jason Lee Show, Season 4, premieres April 8 on BET.com and BET's YouTube channel. If you're a creator interested in applying to the BET Creator Studio, reach out directly at betcreatorstudio@bet.net.
The only question is whether you're waiting to be invited — or walking in.