The cable channel BET will televise episodes of the hit ABC drama “Scandal” just eight days after they premiere on ABC, under an unusual syndication deal announced on Monday.
BET will also present a marathon of Seasons 1 and 2 of “Scandal” before Season 3 starts in September.
“ '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,” Debra L. Lee, the BET chairwoman, said in a statement.
Episodes of shows like “Scandal” typically do not start to be replayed on other channels for several years. But owners of shows are increasingly willing to experiment with new business models that greatly shorten that time lag: CBS, for instance, is letting Amazon rerun episodes of “Under the Dome” four days after their initial broadcast.
The free version of Hulu, the video Web site, will continue to have the five most recent episodes of “Scandal” available for catch-up viewing, and Netflix and the paid version of Hulu will continue to have full seasons available for binge viewing. But by giving the show another home on television, the BET deal might expose the show to first-time viewers and turn them into new fans, potentially benefiting both ABC and BET.
The planned marathon of episodes this summer is a one-time-only event this year, but BET will have broader rights to replay episodes more often beginning in fall 2014, according to a news release.
“Scandal” is a natural fit for BET, given that the channel seeks an African-American audience and the show ranks No. 1 among all broadcast series among African-Americans. The show’s star, Kerry Washington, is the first African-American woman to lead an American network drama since the 1970s.
The show is by no means niche: it has become one of ABC’s most watched and talked-about shows, attracting upward of 10 million viewers for new episodes when digital video recorder playback is included.