Gaming-centric cable network G4 is being pulled for good with NBCUniversal's decision to finally put it out of its misery, IGN is reporting today.
Cable providers still carrying the channel were sent a statement from NBCUniversal announcing the network will come to an end on Nov. 30. This follows earlier plans to rebrand G4 as the Esquire network, before it was launched on Style.
NBCUniversal continued to run programming on G4 while ceasing all further investment in the network. The only things seen on the network in some time were reruns of television series' "Lost," "X-Play," and "Ninja Warrior," along with an occasional movie.
It was reported earlier that NBCUniversal ended up choosing Style as the network to replace because the company has three other existing cable channels that already cater to the female demographic: Bravo, E! and Oxygen. In addition, Style's current viewership is higher than that of G4 (74 million households for the former, compared to 62 million for the latter) which will give the Esquire Network better footing when it launches Sept. 23.
"Style presents brand overlap within our portfolio. Esquire Network, on the other hand, offers an opportunity to introduce a lifestyle network that speaks to an upscale male audience underserved in the current marketplace," said Bonnie Hammer, chairman of the NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment Group, at the time.
G4 had its debut in 2002 and quickly became known for its original video game and geek culture-related programming, including "Attack of the Show!" It is a shame to see the channel go out this way because it really and truly had a great, "zeitgeist-y" thing going in the early-to-mid 2000s. And, quite frankly, I still miss seeing Morgan Webb, Adam Sessler and Blair Butler on daily basis.
