KweliTV vs. BET+: Which Black Streaming Service Better Amplifies the Culture?

Price and Platforms

KweliTV costs $5.99 per month, or $49.99 per year for a standard subscription. That’s in line with similar streaming services. KweliTV also has some of the most generous and flexible options. For instance, students only pay $3.99 per month, you can rent movies and shows individually for $2.99, and you receive discounts for making purchases at several Black-owned businesses. KweliTV also has a free, ad-supported, 24-hour live streaming TV channel. It’s the same content as the service’s on-demand element, you just don’t have any choice over what to watch or when. 

(Credit: KweliTV/PCMag)

A BET+ subscription costs $10.99 per month, toward the pricier end of the category. At that point, you might consider Paramount+ for $7.99 per month, as that service also has BET content. However, BET+ now has a cheaper, ad-supported tier for $5.99 per month. BET+ also has a more confusing sign-up process. BET+ is not the same as BET Now, the free streaming app you can access if you already get BET through your cable provider. You subscribe to BET+ separately. Also, if you subscribe to BET+ as a channel through a third-party service, such as Amazon Prime Video or Apple TV+, you can’t carry over your paid membership to the standalone app. So, subscribe directly through the BET+ website to keep your options open.

KweliTV and BET+ support mobile platforms (Android and iOS) and media streaming devices (Amazon Fire devices, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku). Neither service officially supports video game consoles. KweliTV’s live streaming TV channel strangely doesn’t run in web browsers, but the service recently launched on Comcast’s Xfinity X1 and Xfinity Flex.

Winner: KweliTV

Which Library Has Richer Content?

KweliTV’s unique library reflects the service’s mission to highlight overlooked global Black films and filmmakers. Diving into its catalog of more than 600 films from Africa, the Caribbean, and the larger diaspora turns your home into a never-ending international film festival. It has the same respect for history and preservation as other cinephile-friendly services, such as The Criterion Channel and Mubi, but with an added passion for caring about something as vital and contemporary as representation.

(Credit: BET/PCMag)

From award-winning shorts to educational cartoons, KweliTV treats these Black voices like the artists they are. Examples include Africa United, a comedy about young Rwandan soccer players; The Trial of Jeff David, a true crime podcast detailing the lives of former slaves falsely accused of murder in the 1800s; and Black Enuf, a cartoon about LGBT hip-hop lovers. 

Watching KweliTV is like exploring the world. There’s more to Africa than Black Panther on Disney+. The trade-off is that you probably won’t find familiar content. After all, many people turn to streaming services to effortlessly rewatch comfortable classics, even if only for the background noise. For that, you should consider the far less demanding BET+.

We can argue whether BET is a positive force for Black entertainment television, but BET+ offers a substantial library that includes more than 2,000 hours of mainstream Black movies and shows. The cozy catalog includes Barbershop, Black Ink Crew, Martin, and stand-up comedy specials. BET+ pulls not only from BET, but fellow Viacom channels, such as MTV and VH1. The service has original programming, too, including shows so trashy they’re terrific. For example, Tyler Perry’s The Oval is the bad, but bonkers, Black version of House of Cards.

(Credit: KweliTV/PCMag)

That said, you can find similar shows, including older BET shows strangely missing from BET+, on other mainstream streaming services like Netflix, our Editors’ Choice pick for on-demand video streaming, and Tubi, our Editors’ Choice for free video streaming. KweliTV’s content is so new and fresh that you won’t notice any potential gaps. 

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Winner: KweliTV

Which Streaming Service Has the Best Features?

KweliTV’s welcoming interface helps you navigate its unfamiliar collection. The service is dense with different genres to browse, highlighting specific regions and subject matter. Each listing includes a detailed description, as well as profiles for the filmmakers so you can see their other work and leave comments. The service supports an unlimited number of concurrent streams and lets you download movies to your mobile device for offline viewing. 

That said, there are some inconsistencies. No parental control options exist, and subtitles or HD video quality aren’t guaranteed. Perhaps removing these barriers makes it easier for filmmakers to upload their work. However, a service should ensure every viewer can understand everything being said when presenting global content to a global audience.

(Credit: BET/PCMag)

BET+ offers little more than the bare minimum regarding the viewing experience. Movies and shows play smoothly, but you can’t adjust their video quality. It lacks parental controls. Your only search option is typing in a name; you can’t filter by genre or other criteria. You can’t download content for offline viewing on mobile devices. However, BET+ supports four concurrent streams per account.

Winner: KweliTV

Which Service Plays Nice With VPNs? 

VPNs help you stay safe and private online by masking your actual location. Unfortunately, their very nature makes them enemies of many streaming services that care where their viewers are physically located.

With its desire to foster a larger international Black film community, I was happy, but not surprised, that KweliTV worked after I connected my Windows test device to ProtonVPN servers in the US and abroad. BET+ let me stream content over a US-based VPN server, but stopped working once I switched to a server outside the country. Remember that any streaming service can block VPN traffic at any moment. 

Winner: KweliTV

Video Streaming Services: What You Should Know

And The Winner Is…

I don’t mean to come across as a snob (as a Tyler Perry scholar, I truly loved my time devouring his fascinating new BET+ shows), but KweliTV offers a more challenging, enriching, and inspiring collection of movies and shows that need more advocates. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with BET+’s comforting reruns and mainstream hits. However, opening your eyes to unknown, but immensely talented, Black filmmakers represents a brighter future for streaming services.