G4 becomes Esquire Network April 22

The reports were right. The gaming-focused G4 television network will become the Esquire Network on April 22, according to a New York Times report. NBC Universal will announce the deal today with Esquire magazine owner Hearst Magazines.

NBC executives described the new network as "an upscale Bravo for men,” and one that will appeal to "the modern man, what being a man today is all about."

According to the report, NBC is hoping to attract a "more educated, affluent, sophisticated" male viewer to the Esquire Network. This will include shows aimed at areas of interest like cars, politics, world affairs, travel, fashion, and cooking.

The Esquire Network does not have any gaming-focused programming lined up. According to NBC programming executive Bonnie Hammer, the network had been long aware of the difficulty associated with aiming programming at gamers.

"Realistically, guys who are into gaming are not necessarily watching television," she said. “If this was going to come under my portfolio, I'm a little brand crazy, so I said, let's create a real brand, define a space, understand who we are programming for."