Esquire Net To Exit CableTV

NBCUniversal has announced that the network, a partnership between the Comcast Corp.-owned media company and Hearst Magazines, will become a digital-only presence this spring. The channel launched in September 2013, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The move comes at a challenging time for the cable industry, as more young viewers cut or “shave” down the cable cord in favor of streaming services. Esquire Network targeted an upscale male audience that prefers to watch programming in newer ways other than traditional television, NBCUniversal said.

NBCUniversal is one of several big media companies that own so-called “long tail” cable networks with small audiences. Maintaining carriage of those channels by big cable and satellite providers is getting more difficult, especially as consumers gravitate to skinny cable bundles and online services.

Industry observers have been speculating that TV giants may look to shed some of their small channels or transform them into digital media businesses.