Reanimated video game culture hub G4 will return to linear TV on November 16, with carriage deals in place on Verizon FiOS, Cox, Xfinity TV and Philo.
In announcing its return, the network also said it will also have a multi-year promotional and commercial partnership with Twitch. It also plans to continue putting out channel-specific content on social media and YouTube.
G4 originally launched in 2002 and was created by former Disney TV exec Charles Hirschhorn, who saw it as a successor to MTV in its ability to tap into youth culture. A number of notable personalities appeared on the network as hosts, among them Olivia Munn, Chris Hardwick, Kevin Pereira and Grace Helbig. G4 went dark in 2014 as its place on the dial was taken over by the Esquire Network, which would prove to be a short-lived branding exercise. Amid a groundswell of enthusiasm on social media, new owner Comcast Spectacor (a Philadephia sports and entertainment outfit backed by Comcast) revealed plans in 2020 for the network’s return.
“Since the initial announcement of G4’s revival at Comic-Con @ Home last year, we’ve been in constant dialogue with our audience through the content we’ve produced,” G4 president Russell Arons said in a press release. “We made a promise to fans that we would build this network with their input and are proud to say that our promise has been kept. At G4, we never stopped playing and can’t wait to have our fans join us in our hilarious and fairly preposterous sandbox on November 16.”
Josh Cella, Chief Revenue Officer of G4 and Spectacor Gaming, called the network “a pioneer for video games on television for twelve years, long before businesses were focused on gaming. The credibility that comes with that cannot be manufactured.”
G4 said its programming will be produced and delivered through a “first-of-its-kind,” 24/7 broadcast studio, featuring a collaborative workplace and professional esports and gaming environment. The space is designed by architectural firm Populous, whose credits include projects at Yankee Stadium, Red Bull HQ and Esports Stadium Arlington.
Here are highlights of G4’s programming lineup, with descriptions furnished by the network:
Additional distribution, programming and content partnerships will be announced closer to the network launch.
G4 said its talent roster will include returning hosts Pereira and Adam Sessler; esports personalities Alex “Goldenboy” Mendez, Ovilee May, and Froskurinn; WWE Superstar Xavier Woods, aka Austin Creed; YouTube personalities Kassem G, Jirard “The Completionist” Khalil, and Gina Darling; Twitch streamers Fiona Nova and Will Neff; and vStreamer CodeMiko.
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