Lionsgate And Comic-Con International Announce Subscription Video On Demand Service

Lionsgate and Comic-Con International: San Diego are teaming up to create a new subscription based, on-demand streaming service, launching in 2015.

The service will feature original and exclusive short-form content, films and television series from Lionsgate and other studios, and exclusive archived footage from Comic-Con's history.

"We're thrilled that the biggest pop culture event of the year will become a year-round digital channel for Comic-Con fans and audiences around the world," said Lionsgate President of Worldwide Television & Digital Distribution Jim Packer, via press release. "The fan base for the kind of films and television series showcased at Comic-Con has grown exponentially, and a subscription video-on-demand service is the ideal platform to capture the magic and excitement of the Comic-Con experience year-round as well as the perfect vehicle for Comic-Con fans to discover new content."

"From the beginning of our discussions, nearly two years ago, we have been extremely impressed with Lionsgate's embracing and understanding of fan culture," said Comic-Con's Director of Marketing and Public Relations David Glanzer. "Working with our Lionsgate partners has been an exciting exercise in finding great ways to expand our horizons to deliver the unique magic of Comic-Con and the celebration of comics and popular art to our fans 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and around the world."

"As a next generation studio, Lionsgate has grown up with Comic-Con, and their fans are our audiences," said Lionsgate President of Interactive Ventures & Games Peter Levin. "We're excited by the opportunity to expand and enrich the world of Comic-Con for existing fans and extend it to a whole new global audience with a channel distinguished by its imaginative curation, depth and diversity of content and fierce loyalty to the Comic-Con brand."

The Comic-Con International channel is the third streaming from Lionsgate. They previously launched the Lionsgate Entertainment World platform with the Alibaba Group in China and have announced the summer launch of Tribeca Shortlist.

The Comic-Con International channel will be competing with Wizard World's recently launched CONtv streaming service, in the arena of con-goer focused streaming services.