The network was originally owned byG4 Media, a joint venture between theNBCUniversal Cable division ofNBCUniversal andDish Network by the time of the channel's initial closure, and first launched on April 24, 2002. In late 2012, G4's studio programming ceased in preparation for a planned relaunch asEsquire Network, as part of a licensing deal withHearst Corporation, owner ofEsquire magazine. Esquire Network would ultimately replace Style Network instead, on September 23, 2013.[3] G4 announced in November 2014 that it would end all operations.[4][5][6] The network was originally ceased operations on December 31, 2014. By August 2013, it was reported that approximately 61,217,000 American households (53.61% of households with television) were receiving the network.[7]
On July 24, 2020, a revival of the G4 brand was announced; the network relaunched on November 16, 2021.[8][9][10][11] On October 16, 2022, it was announced[12] that Comcast would soon be shutting down the network.[13] Its final day of operation was November 18, 2022.[citation needed]
G4 was launched on April 24, 2002, under the ownership ofComcast.[14] The initial concept was to create a service similar to rivalTechTV but targeted at 12-to-34-year-olds, an elusive demographic.[15] The channel was soft launched with a week-long series ofPong matches.[16][17] It was initially available to three million Comcast subscribers, and offered 13 half-hour programs.[18]
G4 was created and originally led byCharles Hirschhorn, a former president ofWalt Disney Television andTelevision Animation.[18][19] He expected video game creators themselves to eventually produce programming for the channel. He envisioned that G4 could follow in the footsteps of MTV, which provided music video producers with a venue for non-traditional television programming.[20] Hirschhorn intended G4 to become a vehicle for unconventional advertising. In 2002, G4 offered advertisers wide latitude to place their products on G4's programs, and even allowed their commercials to appear as if they were apart of the program.[21] G4 offered what was called a "2 minute unit", which was an advertising package played as if it were part of a G4 program that was long enough to run an entire movie trailer. G4 offered to sell the right to have a game showcased on the showPulse.[21]
On March 25, 2004,Vulcan Inc. announced that G4 Media would acquire TechTV and merge the two networks.[22] The combined network was rebranded asG4techTV. On February 15, 2005, less than a year after the merger, the "TechTV" brand was dropped from the channel's name.[23] ACanadian version of TechTV, originally launched on September 7, 2001,[24] would also be relaunched under the "G4techTV" branding and would retain the brand until 2009.[25][26]
In September 2005, Neal Tiles replaced Hirschhorn as the channel's president.[27] Tiles had previously been a senior marketing executive atDirecTV,Fox Sports andESPN.[28] He announced that G4 would be retooled as a male-oriented channel, stating that "guys like to play games, but not necessarily watch a bunch of shows with games on the screen".[29]
Comcast announced on October 12, 2006, that it would consolidate its west coast entertainment operations, including G4,E! andStyle Network into a new group headed byTed Harbert, who had formerly run E!. It was announced that the upper management of the G4 channel would relocate to E!'s Los Angeles office.[30] Harbert gave his opinion at the time that the focus of the channel on "gaming has been demonstrated as being too narrow."[31][32]
In April 2007, G4, in association with Earth911,[33] launched anelectronic-waste-recycling campaign called Gcycle.[34]
On February 17, 2009, it was reported that G4 intended to cut back its original programming.X-Play would be reduced to three nights a week whileAttack of the Show! would be cut to four nights a week. Consequently, a number of the staff and production crew involved in the shows would be laid off.Layla Kayleigh also left G4 in April 2009 after Neal Tiles announced that her contract would not be renewed.[35][36]
It was announced duringComic-Con 2010 that G4 would be the exclusiveNorth American broadcaster ofMarvel Anime, which made its television debut in 2011.[37] During the week of July 26-August 1, 2010, G4 changed its logo to 4G as a promotion forSprint Nextel's next generation wireless internet service.[38]
On November 1, 2010, DirecTV announced that it had removed G4 from its channel lineup,[39] citing low interest among their subscriber base and low Nielsen ratings as the primary reason for dropping of the channel.[40][41] DirecTV commented that it was "...unable to reach an agreement to continue carrying the G4 channel and it has been removed from the DirecTV channel lineup."[42]
On January 5, 2012, Neal Tiles stepped down as CEO.[45] He was replaced by former NBCUniversal marketing chief Adam Stotsky.[46] Long-time employeesAdam Sessler andKevin Pereira both departed the network during the first half of 2012.[47][48]
On October 26, 2012, it was announced thatX-Play andAttack of the Show! would be cancelled by the end of the year,[49] ending G4's studio programming.
In December 2012,NBCUniversal signed abrand licensing deal with theHearst Corporation, owner ofEsquire magazine, to relaunch G4 intoEsquire Network which would air shows aimed at ametrosexual audience about travel, cooking, fashion and non-sports related male programming, including the addition of acquired and archive NBCU content such asParty Down,Parks and Recreation, and week-delayed episodes ofLate Night with Jimmy Fallon.[50][51][52] The rebranding was scheduled to take place on April 22, 2013,[51] but was moved to an unspecified date in the summer on April 15, 2013. Network general manager Adam Stotsky stated the rebranding was pushed back in order to have a broader original series slate to launch with than would have been available for the April launch. Stotsky confirmed that a new season ofAmerican Ninja Warrior would air on the network in the summer.[52] In May 2013, the launch date was pushed to September 23, 2013, with its first program being an 80th anniversary special forEsquire.[53]
On September 9, 2013, news broke that NBCUniversal would instead replace the Style Network with Esquire Network, leaving G4 "as is for the foreseeable future, though it's highly unlikely the company will invest in more original programming".[3] On September 23, 2013, G4 was dropped byTime Warner Cable andBright House Networks (Bright House carriage contracts were negotiated by Time Warner Cable), citing the network's low viewership as "(not a) good value for our customers".[54]Verizon FiOS discontinued the channel on October 1, 2013, andCablevision did so on October 10, 2013, pursuant to a filing with theConnecticut Department of Public Utility Control (that state's utility service regulator) a month prior, that NBCUniversal had plans to discontinue G4's operations as of the October 10 date, though only the discontinuation of carriage by Cablevision occurred.[55]
Late in October 2013,Charter Communications, which was one of the charter carriers of TechTV when it was a sister of that network under the ownership of Vulcan Ventures, announced its intention to drop G4 on December 17; sister networkCloo replaced G4 on its systems.[56] On November 1, 2013, Dish Network removed it from the lineup with Esquire Network replacing G4,[57] ending all carriage of the network fromdirect broadcast satellite services.Cox ceased carriage of G4 in all markets on December 31, 2013.[58]
Comcast removed G4 from all its cable and satellite systems nationwide on January 6, 2014; the network continued to be carried on other cable systems.[59][60]
Certain cable operators reported that the network would end all on-air operations on November 30, 2014,[4][5][6] and the aforementioned providers continued airing the network until the alleged cutoff date (or when their contracts with G4 were fully exhausted), ending all carriage of the network from cable providers andcable television services.[61]
The final day of G4 in its previous iteration was a marathon of the Top 100 Video Games of All Time, followed by the last program being the debut episode ofX-Play. A note on the G4 website's program schedule was added to that particular episode saying "Thanks for watching G4."[62]
Victory Studios, former home ofTMZ andExtra, circa 2007. It was renovated to serve as the home of the G4 revival.[63]
On July 24, 2020, theTwitter accounts of G4,Attack of the Show! andX-Play were reactivated to post a teaser video announcing a revival of the network slated for 2021. The teaser was released during "Comic-Con@Home", the first virtual streaming edition ofSan Diego Comic-Con. G4's website was reopened with a playable game ofPong which, if won, redirected to a mailing list to sign up for updates and a free shirt promo code. The campaign was in-reference to the network's original launch in 2002 and their shutdown in 2014.[64][65] Comcast would transfer operations of G4 from NBCUniversal to itsSpectacor division (former owners of the now-defunctPRISM regional premium cable television channel).[1]
On August 12, 2020,Olivia Munn, the former co-host ofAttack of the Show!, was reportedly in final talks for a multi-year deal with G4.[66]
On September 4, 2020, the official G4YouTube channel uploaded a video featuring formerX-Play hostAdam Sessler as one of his fictional characters, Crazy Adam, asking for fans to submit applications to become a G4 host or simply nominate their favorite personalities with thehashtag, #G4NeedsTalent.[67]
On November 16, 2020, G4 announcedA Very Special G4 Holiday Reunion Special, a scripted special hosted byRon Funches featuring interviews withKevin Pereira, Olivia Munn, Adam Sessler,Morgan Webb,Kristin Adams, andBlair Herter. The special premiered on November 24 onTwitch andYouTube;Syfy would also air the special on November 27.[68] At the special's end, wrestlerXavier "King" Woods / Austin Creed would be the first newly announced host for G4's relaunch, after beginning a campaign on Twitter to become a G4 personality in August 2020.[69][70] On the same day of the special's premiere, G4 launchedGravython, a charity drive that would be raising funds for a variety of community partners.[71]
On January 28, 2021, G4 announced that bothAttack of the Show! andX-Play would be revived due to high demand from fans. They also gave a tentative date of Summer 2021 for the network's relaunch.[9] The following day, the company launched theB4G4 brand, featuring short-form experimental content on YouTube and Twitter created to gain feedback from audiences that would help determine the shows for G4's relaunch.[72] On February 12, 2021, the B4G4 iterations ofAttack of the Show! andX-Play began, with Kevin Pereira and Adam Sessler returning to host their respective series;[73] these involved humorous sketches forAOTS andLet's Plays with other gaming-based streamers and YouTubers alongside Sessler forX-Play. On the same day, it was announced that Esports shoutcastersIndiana "Froskurinn" Black and Ovilee May would be the network's new hosts, helming the seriesThe Bleep Esports Show - a satirical program focusing on current gaming-related news.[74] In March, the network also began livestreaming on both Twitch and YouTube, where its hosts interact with the audience and do watch-alongs to new B4G4 videos.[75]
On April 2, 2021, G4 uploaded a video on their YouTube channel revealing the return of "Epic April", a month dedicated to new announcements. On April 5, G4 revealed the development of a new competitive series hosted by Xavier "King" Woods / Austin Creed in partnership withWWE to air in the fall.[76] On April 11, Esports shoutcaster,The Titan Games commentator and formerAEW commentator Alex "Goldenboy" Mendez was announced to be joining the network as a new host. On April 14, 2021, G4 announced thatNinja Warrior, an English-dubbed version of the Japanese showSASUKE (itself the original Japanese version ofAmerican Ninja Warrior), would be returning to the network with 3 new tournaments and a total of 167 episodes.[77] On April 19, comedian andYouTuberKassem G was announced to be joining the network as a new host.[78] On April 28, Adam Sessler and Kassem G revealed during a livestream that cosplayer Jefferson "Jeffersawrus" Carvey was the network's first #G4NeedsTalent hire.[79] Its final "Epic April" announcement was made on the 30th, whereVirtual YouTuber and livestreamer characterCodeMiko, along with her creator known only as "The Technician", would be joining as a new host.[80]
On May 5, 2021, G4 was announced to be the official broadcaster ofDungeons & Dragons Live, airing on July 16 and 17.[81] On May 14, YouTuber and podcaster Gina Darling was revealed during a livestream with Adam Sessler and Kassem G to be joining as a new host.[82]
On October 12, 2021, it was announced that G4's cable network would officially return on November 16, 2021.[11]
In November 2021, it was announced that airings of select episodes of theweb seriesScott the Woz would air on G4 in one-hour blocks.[83] The show was scheduled to debut on December 7, 2021, at 6:30 pmEST[84] but due to technical difficulties involvingAmazon Web Services, it did not air in that timeslot. The show would officially debut at 10:30 pmEST.[83]
The network officially relaunched on November 16 at 6 a.m. EST, with a marathon of the originalNinja Warrior, occasionally featuring reruns of theVery Special G4 Holiday Reunion Special from the previous year. TheCatastrophic Launch Special was broadcast on the network'sTwitch andYouTube channels that same evening, before airing on the cable network on the next day.[85]
On March 7, 2022, G4 launched a FAST channel onPluto TV called G4 Select, which carries most of G4's regular programming. As part of an exclusive partnership, the channel would also feature new content catered to free, linear streaming audiences.[86][87] The channel was later added toVizio's WatchFree platform on June 16, 2022.[88][89]
On October 16, 2022, it was announced that G4 would be ceasing operations after relaunching the previous year.[90][91][92]
Several factors that led to G4's discontinuation ranged from low viewership, a lack of audience strategy, ever-changing and absent leadership, competition with streaming content creators onYouTube andTwitch,cord-cutting, underpromotion, and high expenditures.[93][94][95] G4 Select would be removed from Pluto TV on October 19, 2022, during an episode ofAttack of the Show: Vibe Check, the network fully sunsetting operations on October 21, ending two minutes intoSmosh;[96] G4 Select would later cease on Vizio. G4 in itself leftPhilo,YouTube TV,Xfinity, andCox prior to the shutdown, withFios being the last to carry the network until the true discontinuation date, November 18, 2022, two days after the first anniversary of the re-launch.[97]
A screen reading "THANK YOU FOR WATCHING!" was set to appear after midnight,[98] however Fios cut their signal just seconds prior to midnight, ending in the middle of the sign-off.[99]
In addition tovideo game culture, G4's programming encompassedgeek,fandom,genre, and general audience shows aimed at young adults. The network primarilylivestreams its original programming on theirTwitch andYouTube channels. These livestreams are edited to air on the linear television channel andvideo on demand platforms the next day. The television channel's programming currently features reruns of past G4 shows, as well as other acquired programs.[100]Pulse was a prerecorded weekly news show that focused on the gaming industry that aired on G4. In November 2004, along with other G4techTV programs, the show was cancelled. News segments were merged with revamped version ofThe Screen Savers (laterAttack of the Show), though eventually those duties were taken over by the editorial staff ofX-Play.
G4's website previously featured game trailers and reviews, select video clips of its original shows, and web original programming. The website continued providing entertainment-related news articles until May 31, 2013,[101] with the last article posted on G4's website as a replacement for the site's schedule section, was a notice stating that "NBCUniversal has discontinued all operations for G4" seven days after the network left the air.[102] The website was relaunched on July 24, 2020, coinciding with the announcement of the network's revival.
William Frederick Knight, voice actor in anime and video games who was onAttack of the Show! often, most notably as Bill, co-host of the segmentAt the Bootys
^Finkle, Jim (January 10, 2005)."G4 Drops TechTV Handle".Broadcasting & Cable. Archived fromthe original on December 21, 2016. RetrievedFebruary 7, 2016.
