Why It's a Good Idea for Spike to Rebrand as the Paramount Network

Spike president Kevin Kay -- who will stay on to oversee the transition -- understands that people already know and like the studio with the mountain logo.

"For more than 100 years, the iconic Paramount name has been closely associated with the biggest stars and most compelling stories in all of entertainment," he wrote in a memo to Spike staff.

Men's media has been in crisis for years -- see Playboy magazine's abandonment of nude photos, the unsuccessful rebrand of Maxim or the recent shuttering of the Esquire network for evidence -- as overt pandering to no-girls-allowed machismo has grown less palatable to mainstream audiences.

Ditching the Spike identity allows the network to start fresh with an inclusive brand that audiences already know.

New CEO Bob Bakish plans to refocus the company's resources on its "flagship brands:" BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr. and Paramount.