The times are a changin....
NBCUniversal will shutter
Esquire Network’s linear cable channel and relaunch the brand as a digital-only platform,
Variety has learned. The decision to end the cable channel’s operation was spurred by recent negotiations with Charter Communications over a carriage-contract renewal.
Esquire Network
was dropped last month from AT&T’s DirecTV and U-Verse services. That move resulted in a loss of 25% of the channel’s subscribers — down from 60 million to 45 million. If Esquire Network were to be dropped by Charter, it would have lost an additional 15 million subscribers, making it no longer viable for Comcast-owned NBCUniversal to continue to operate.
Esquire Network will continue its cable feed through the summer. The channel employs around 50 staffers. Roughly 30 of those employees will likely be downsized, with the remainder kept on to service the brand’s new digital play.
Viacom to
rebrand SpikeTV
Viacom's male-focused cable network, home to Lip Sync Battle, is expected to be rebranded as the Paramount Network, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. A formal announcement will likely come Thursday morning when Viacom unveils its turnaround plan during its quarterly earnings call.
It's tough out there folks.
