BET joins forces with ABC to give Scandal a second home

Viacom-owned cable network, BET has acquired off-network rights to ABC’s hit series Scandal.

BET will televise episodes of the hit drama just eight days after they premiere on ABC, under an unusual syndication deal announced on Monday. To kick-start the deal BET will begin airing seasons one and two of the series this summer as a one off.

With a second home, Scandal has the opportunity to hook first-time viewers and turn them into rabid fans like the rest of us.

For those who don’t know, Scandal is the Shonda Rhimes’ political drama based on Washington fixer, Olivia Pope, played by actress Kerry Washington. The series became very popular shortly after its first season and its core fan base continued to grow during this year’s second season.

“We’re thrilled to be joining forces with ABC in airing this dynamic series,” said Debra Lee, Chairman of BET Networks. “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.”

Episodes of shows like Scandal normally do not start to be replayed on other channels for several years. But owners of shows are now more 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 viewing.