G4 made its return to TV after being off the air for 7 years. The channel which returns to traditional TV on Xfinity, Cox, and Verizon Fios, also comes to streaming through Twitch and Philo. While out of the gate, Philo is the only Live TV Streaming Service to carry the channel, the company said “be on the lookout for this list to grow.”
G4 is stepping up. They recently revealed pictures of their studios and office in Burbank, California, and if a headquarters is any indication of the potentness of one’s business strategy, G4 is headed to a very profitable fiscal year.
The heads of G4 hope that the first-of-its-kind 24/7 broadcast studio’s collaborative workplace and professional esports and gaming environment will propel forward their content and vision.
“In 2014, G4 hit a 404 error some call ‘network cancelation.’ It took seven years of spamming F5 to refresh, but it worked! G4TV is back,” said the company. “G4 started in 2002 and was the first television network dedicated to gaming. It broadcasted live from E3, was at every Comic-Con, and brought Ninja Warrior to America. Unfortunately, we were told we were too “ahead of our time” via break-up text, and due to [REMOVED BY CORPORATE], G4 was shut down in 2014.”
Philo is offering the channel as part of its $25 plan with major channels from A&E Networks, AMC Networks, Discovery, Hallmark, and ViacomCBS. These include A&E, AMC, BET, Comedy Central, Discovery, HGTV, MTV, Nickelodeon, and Paramount Network. The service also has an unlimited DVR keeping your recordings for up to a year.
The company listed the following shows and elucidated the following descriptions in order to build hype for their programming at launch:
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Attack of the Show!: The original geek culture variety show returns with host Kevin Pereira and a brand new cavalcade of misfits. Irreverent and unscripted, Attack of the Show! is a welcoming place for any fan who wants to spend a couple of hours laughing, watching epic stunts and hilarious sketches, and deep-diving into the latest trends of the internet. From hilarious web videos to memes, to streaming of all types, to celebrity guests, to the weirdest tech, Attack of the Show! is still the show that gets it before it gets out.
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Xplay: Xplay used an extra life! The ultimate video game review show returns as a digital-first content brand that balances an authoritative loudmouth confidence with the absurdity of a public-access comedy sketch show, all while (somehow) maintaining enough credibility to book interviews with top industry luminaries. Xplay is expanding the conversation with insightful and irreverent explorations into every game worth your time: AAA, indie, mobile, VR, retro… it’s all on the table. Adam Sessler is back, joined by a group of hilarious experts, to bring a brutally honest voice to the modern gaming scene.
GameSpot TV
Xplay (previously GameSpot TV and Extended Play) is a TV program about video games. The program, known for its reviews and comedy skits, airs on G4 in the United States and had aired on G4 Canada in Canada (and briefly on YTV during its time as GameSpot TV), FUEL TV in Australia, Ego in Israel, GXT in Italy, MTV Russia & Rambler TV in Russia, Solar Sports in the Philippines and Adult Swim and MuchMusic in Latin America. The show ran between July 4, 1998, and January 23, 2013, and returned in November 2021 as a part of G4’s relaunch.
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Boosted: Boosted is a weekly esports comedy series for curious gamers and esports fanatics alike. Boosted is that moment in-game when you realize you’re the worst player in the lobby. We want to revel in the entry-level as we approach gaming and esports as interns guided by our executive-level experts. Boosted will cover the latest trends, news, and tournaments in the esports world every week.
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Ninja Warrior: The quest to summit Mt. Midoriyama returns as G4 attains the exclusive linear broadcasting rights to SASUKE, better known as Ninja Warrior in the United States, from Tokyo Broadcasting System Television, Inc. (TBS). G4 will air all 167 episodes of the legendary competition series that pits heroic athletes of all types from pro gymnasts, to fishermen, to comedians against a four-stage, formidable, and/or impossible obstacle course. G4 will also present three tournaments never-before-seen in the United States, SASUKE 35, 36, and 37.
Ninja Warrior
The world’s top fighters, wrestlers, and athletes compete in one of the most difficult physical contests ever devised. Of the 1,900 people that have attempted to complete stage one since 1997, only about 200 have succeeded. Of the 200 that passed stage one, only 3 people have gone on to complete all four stages and have the title of Ninja Warrior.
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ESL Gaming: G4 has partnered with ESL Gaming, the world’s leading esports and gaming lifestyle company, to produce and broadcast several prime-time esports programs, a first for ESL Gaming in the US and Canada. G4’s exclusive linear broadcast rights make it the premier destination for ESL Pro Tour events including the IEM Katowice 2022.
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Dungeons & Dragons Presents Invitation to Party: Coming off the immense success of D&D Live 2021 featuring notable celebrities like Jack Black, Tiffany Haddish, Kevin Smith, and DrLupo, G4 will continue its partnership with Wizards of the Coast with an all-new, limited-run series to premiere on G4 this Fall. The series will follow four campaigns with a mix of G4 talent, veteran D&D players, and celebrities for a new generation of D&D fans.
“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,” said Russell Arons, President, G4. “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.”
Philo
Philo is a live TV streaming service designed for entertainment lovers which includes 60+ channels for $25 per month. It’s an especially attractive option for fans of live TV who don’t watch sports.