diff --git a/pytorch3d/renderer/blending.py b/pytorch3d/renderer/blending.py
index cdfb4e60c..bfdae6c9c 100644
--- a/pytorch3d/renderer/blending.py
+++ b/pytorch3d/renderer/blending.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 
 import torch
 from pytorch3d import _C
+from pytorch3d.common.datatypes import Device
 
 
 # Example functions for blending the top K colors per pixel using the outputs
@@ -37,6 +38,17 @@ class BlendParams(NamedTuple):
     background_color: Union[torch.Tensor, Sequence[float]] = (1.0, 1.0, 1.0)
 
 
+def _get_background_color(
+    blend_params: BlendParams, device: Device, dtype=torch.float32
+) -> torch.Tensor:
+    background_color_ = blend_params.background_color
+    if isinstance(background_color_, torch.Tensor):
+        background_color = background_color_.to(device)
+    else:
+        background_color = torch.tensor(background_color_, dtype=dtype, device=device)
+    return background_color
+
+
 def hard_rgb_blend(
     colors: torch.Tensor, fragments, blend_params: BlendParams
 ) -> torch.Tensor:
@@ -57,18 +69,11 @@ def hard_rgb_blend(
     Returns:
         RGBA pixel_colors: (N, H, W, 4)
     """
-    N, H, W, K = fragments.pix_to_face.shape
-    device = fragments.pix_to_face.device
+    background_color = _get_background_color(blend_params, fragments.pix_to_face.device)
 
     # Mask for the background.
     is_background = fragments.pix_to_face[..., 0] < 0  # (N, H, W)
 
-    background_color_ = blend_params.background_color
-    if isinstance(background_color_, torch.Tensor):
-        background_color = background_color_.to(device)
-    else:
-        background_color = colors.new_tensor(background_color_)
-
     # Find out how much background_color needs to be expanded to be used for masked_scatter.
     num_background_pixels = is_background.sum()
 
@@ -182,13 +187,8 @@ def softmax_rgb_blend(
     """
 
     N, H, W, K = fragments.pix_to_face.shape
-    device = fragments.pix_to_face.device
     pixel_colors = torch.ones((N, H, W, 4), dtype=colors.dtype, device=colors.device)
-    background_ = blend_params.background_color
-    if not isinstance(background_, torch.Tensor):
-        background = torch.tensor(background_, dtype=torch.float32, device=device)
-    else:
-        background = background_.to(device)
+    background_color = _get_background_color(blend_params, fragments.pix_to_face.device)
 
     # Weight for background color
     eps = 1e-10
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ def softmax_rgb_blend(
 
     # Sum: weights * textures + background color
     weighted_colors = (weights_num[..., None] * colors).sum(dim=-2)
-    weighted_background = delta * background
+    weighted_background = delta * background_color
     pixel_colors[..., :3] = (weighted_colors + weighted_background) / denom
     pixel_colors[..., 3] = 1.0 - alpha