DC Entertainment and Warner Brothers Digital Networks finally gave fans the details they’ve been waiting for in regard to DC Universe, the upcoming streaming service that combines original and archive video content, comic books and more. The news, which revealed pricing information along with pre-order deals, came Thursday at San Diego Comic-Con.
On Wednesday evening, selected media members were able to take in a showcasing of DC Universe on both mobile devices and TV with publisher and chief creative officer Jim Lee. The demonstration featured digital versions of comic books the service will offer. It also included the debut trailer for Titans, the first of multiple original television series created for the site. The streaming service is expected to be available on many devices including iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Android TV, as well as web and mobile web. And while no new comic book content will be created for the launch, Lee did mention that the topic has indeed been discussed with creators, who are excited about the potential opportunity.
“We always wanted this to be the place where all of DC lives. This is intended to be a hub for the DC experience,” Craig Hunegs, president of Warner Bros. Digital Networks and president of business and strategy Warner Bros. Television Group said. “We’ll always have theatrical releases, but I think increasingly, you’ll see the television series produced for DC exclusively living on DCU; I think the comic books, not to exclude all the partners we have, will become a large part of the experience.”
Along with the launch of the DC Universe Experience, an attraction at the Hilton San Diego event center, DC and Warner Bros. announced that pre-orders for DC Universe have been initially listed for an annual fee of $74.99. A monthly subscription of $7.99 will also become an option upon the site’s launch. In addition, fans who pre-order prior to the launch will receive an additional three months of subscription free of charge.
The long term goal for the service is that the DC Universe would become something fans will want to interact with every day. “I believe that we’re creating something that will be a daily experience for people,” Hunegs said. “This is a win if this is so engaging that people come to it every day. We’re going to have new series at least once a week, a new episode at least once a week, and we’re going to have new short form, scripted, non-scripted, behind the scenes content every day of the week. I’ve got the beta at home now, and my kids are discovering comic books for the first time, but for me, it’s deeply nostalgic,” Hunegs said.