Tyler Perry is serious about purchasing a majority stake in BET.

As AfroTech previously told you, the billionaire’s alleged interest came when he discovered Paramount could be looking to sell its stake in the network.

If Perry acquires the network, it would give him ownership of the network that is home to some of his shows that include “Sistas,” “The Oval,” “House of Payne,” and more.

It was revealed in a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight that the rumors are true.

“Rumor? No, it’s not a rumor,” Perry said. “I’ve been there for four years now and have 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 as I can.”

He also added that he is thrilled to see other powerhouses including Byron Allen and Sean “Diddy” Combs interested in returning the network to Black ownership.

“Part of it is — and I’ve read about Byron Allen and [Diddy] and everybody wanting to bid and so on and so forth, and I think it’s really great. This is what I love about it,” Perry said. “When [BET co-founder] 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.”

Perry’s excitement is warranted. Allen, Diddy, and Perry each have an estimated net worth of $1 billion. They could be looking to invest their earnings to preserve a network that dedicates its platforms to Black creativity.

If any of those parties succeed in their bid, it is still a win for the community, and Perry recognizes this too.

“There’ll be happiness when it’s Black-owned again,” he said.