NBC and Hearst’s Esquire TV channel to launch in September

The Esquire TV channel will roll out on September 23, its backers NBCUniversal and Hearst have confirmed.

A joint venture between NBCU and Hearst Magazines, the channel will be programmed with content aimed at the same audience as the monthly men’s glossy.

The plan to rebrand youth-skewed cable channel G4 as Esquire was first announced in December, and was planned to launch in April but was subsequently held back.

The launch line-up includes underground cooking competition Knife Fight, celebrity-fronted travel series The Getaway, New York real estate reality series Risky Listing and American Field Trip, a road trip across the US with photo journalist Matt Hranek.

Two new originals have just been announced. Custom Productions and Redtail Media-produced Brew Dogs will follow Scottish “beer evangelists” James Watt and Martin Dickie as they travel across America. Go Go Luckey-produced Horse Players, meanwhile, will follow the professional horse racing world.

The launch of the cable net has been timed to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the magazine.

The channel will be run by former G4 general manager Adam Stotsky. He said: “we will build on this unparalleled 80 year history with a new primetime lineup featuring compelling original programming that hits on the wide-ranging interests, aspirations and passions of men today.”