Free directs the brand, marketing and creative strategy for all businesses of BET Networks (including BET and Centric) across all platforms. Based in New York, she oversees on-air promotions, off-channel and digital marketing, market research and affiliate and trade marketing, reporting directly to Chairman & CEO Debra Lee. “The African American woman is an incredibly powerful yet often overlooked consumer,” Free says. “Black women control $260 billion dollars of buying power and consume more television than women from any other ethnic group.”

What’s your biggest professional accomplishment in the past 12 months?

We successfully rebranded and launched the all-new Centric, the first network designed for Black women.  Centric reaches 1 out of 3 black women ages 25-54 in the U.S. and is one of the fastest growing ad-supported cable networks among women, posting double year-over-year gains in Primetime and Total Day. And Centric ranked #4 in the BRAND LOVE study among 33 competitors. The African American woman is an increasingly powerful yet often overlooked consumer. Black women control $260 billion dollars of buying power and consume more television than women from any other ethnic group. At Centric we believe black women deserve a dedicated space that celebrates their bold and diverse taste and aspirations. And Centric is the first network to deliver the programming that celebrates, inspires and addresses her unique perspective.

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Tuesday–July 1

AMC’s ‘Nautilus’ Explores the Origins of Captain Nemo

Captain Namo is one of the most famous characters in all of sci-fi. Yet, while Jules Verne’s ill-fated explorer has starred in many adaptations, none has dived so deeply into Nemo’s origin story as AMC’s “Nautilus.”

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