Are you going to subscribe to SDCC On Demand?

14 MARCH 2016

You may remember back when CCI announced a partnership with Lionsgate to bring you subscription content - essentially, the joy of SDCC consumed right from your most comfortable sofa. No standing in line, no heartrending badge sale, no exorbitant hotel bills. That's been the dream, anyway.


Today we got a closer look at what the reality might be. Like....

• Roundtable discussion shows.
• The Kings of Con show, inspired by real Con life.
• A weekly movie talk in partnership with Collider. 
• A reality show about geek fashion company Her Universe that follows contestants in the SDCC fashion show.
• A pop culture news show and late night talk show produced by G4 star Kevin Pereira.
• An all-female pop culture panel.
• A science entertainment program starring illusionist Jason Latimer "who explores breakthrough technologies capable of achieving his seemingly impossible feats of magic with real science."
• Programs on comics, science, gaming and interviews.

So no - it may not be the literal Con experience delivered to your living room, but it sounds like it will offer the feel and flavor of Comic-Con. That's the hope, anyway. More details - like cost - will help people know what to expect and how to feel about it, no doubt.

More news on Comic-Con's VOD service

24 JUNE 2015





Months after hearing CCI had teamed with Lionsgate to offer a subscription-based Video on Demand service, Comic Book Resources announced today that the service will be headed by Seth Ladermen, who has an impressive track record of creating major digital communities. (Such as turning Nerdist's original podcast and site into millions of users and dozens of podcasts.)

Two interesting facts for Comic-Con fans - and not just attendees:

• The Independent Film Festival will now be a year-round online event. I wonder what impact that will have on the SDCC event.
• The channel will offer "access to exclusive and original short-form content, access to Lionsgate films and TV series along with projects from other studios and archived footage pulled from the convention's 45 year history."

The second item is a bit disappointing as it suggests that current panels won't be streamed. YouTube is rife with old SDCC panels; I think fans were hoping that this service meant that even if they didn't get a badge, they could still see the Doctor Who panel, sans footage.

There's a whole lot of press release talk in this quote: "We intend to differentiate our service through the depth and diversity of its content, the quality of its curation and the joys of discovering its rich mix of programming. Seth is ideally qualified to create a lineup that delights fans and newcomers alike with a combination of beloved treasures, thrilling discoveries and unique original content designed exclusively to satisfy our audiences."

So while this channel sounds interesting, I don't know that it's going to actually bring Comic-Con to people who can't go. Will it keep SDCC alive for fans throughout the year? No doubt. But as for how it interplays with current Cons, we'll just have to see. Of course, this doesn't launch until 2016 - and a lot could certainly change by then.