Originally, Channel 213 broadcasted G4 – a cable network that was owned by NBCUniversal and aired programs related to video games, technology, and men’s interests. G4 was started in the year 2002 and it was owned by Comcast at the time of its inception, its logo and the contents that it aired, were all about video games only. It gradually evolved from just covering computers and electronics into general technology and gadgetry news.
It was not until 2010 that G4 was purchased by NBCUniversal. A year later in 2012, the management of Dish Network discontinued providing G4 content on channel 213. This move left DirecTV as the only major Pay-TV provider still carrying G4. Among the major players in the Pay-TV industry that dropped G4, there was Dish Network.
How and why did Dish ultimately decide to drop G4?
Although Dish has not come out clearly on why G4 was pulled out from its programming list, they probably did it due to the channel’s poor ratings and viewership. In 2012 when Dish dropped G4 the channel was a shell of its former self, with ratings declining and its cultural significance becoming almost non-existent.
The channel failed to hold its ground amidst growing competitors like YouTube and Twitch for gaming content, and web videos for men’s lifestyle and comedy shows. This is the reason why Dish possibly realized that paying for the carriage rights to broadcast G4 is not financially feasible with the small audience that the network garners. This enabled Dish to cut down on less profitable, low-ranked channels and direct their financial capital toward more demanded shows.
The drop also occurred around the time Dish sought to expand whole-home DVR technology, so pulling more channels with specialized programming in favor of innovation and additional customer DVR space could have been intentional.
How Subscribers Reacted
It was shocking for many avid customers of Dish to get rid of G4 which was entertaining lots of people, particularly the program “Attack of the Show!” and “X-Play” which dealt with technology trends and video games. Several of them said they would no longer do business with Dish in its entirety due to the loss of gaming and pop culture channels.
However, while a row of vocal critics blamed the company for the loss of a majority of Dish subscribers, the absence of Channel 213 must have passed unnoticed. While viewership ratings dropped at G4 and popular original programs that were characteristic of the channel were dropped in cost-efficient measures in a bid to cut losses, a large proportion of the channel's targeted demographic had already abandoned the channel.
This just takes us back to the question of what replaced G4 on channel 213.
After the removal of G4 at Dish, there was a few years period in which Dish did not add any programming to Channel 213. For subscribers who tuned in at that point, it only had the message ‘This Channel Not Available’ appearing on the screen.
Finally, Dish partnered with G4 on August 30th, 2021, when the company created Dish Studio, a free promotional channel that occupied the empty channel number eight and a half years after cutting ties with G4. This station plays advertisements of other Dish services and packages, happy customers with comments about the services received, and teasers of shows available for streaming on such platforms as Netflix and Hulu.
In addition to this, it does not air any form of entertainment/pop culture programming that would be a direct replacement for G4. Sensing this, Dish Network decided to put up Dish Studio, a channel on 213 which appeared to be more of a channel to fill the gap left by G4 instead of a channel to target G4’s demographic.
What Happened to G4?
However, when Dish decided to remove G4 from its schedule, the channel remained operational on DirecTV and with some cable operators. It took NBCUniversal a lot of effort to transform it into a channel that would be eagerly watched by the young generation. They had eventually pulled most original shows by 2014 and had reduced its staff as viewership significantly dropped.
But at long last, Comcast decided to completely cease G4’s operation at the end of 2014. In addition, almost all of the distribution partners excluded the channel from their listings by the end of the year.
However, because some people still have some old love for G4 and its programs, NBCUniversal decided to bring back G4 in 2021 in the form of an online streaming channel that is accessible through the Peacock service and other platforms. It has older shows including ‘Attack of the Show!’ and some that aired during the latest years. The linear cable channel itself, however, has not returned to Dish or other more traditional pay-TV lineups.
Thus, even though Channel 213 still carries programming under the Dish Studio banner, the G4 brand has not been completely relegated to the dustbin of history post-divestiture. It cycled into new growth by adaptability to the changes in content consumption patterns, even when the Dish was left empty for almost a decade.
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