We’re only a few hours into the first day, but there’s already been some big news at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) - DC has announced that its brand-new streaming service will be out later this year and cost $74.99 annually or $7.99 per month (around £60, AU$100 if/when DCU comes to the UK and Australia).
The service, which goes by the name of DC Universe, will serve a few different functions that parallel other platforms. The first is that it will be a video streaming service similar to Netflix. It will have existing movies and shows set in the DC Universe as well as new shows going up every week, including Titans, Doom Patrol, Swamp Thing, Young Justice: Outsiders and Harley Quinn.
On top of being a streaming service, DC Universe will also live up to its namesake by offering a Comixology-style library of comics for its users as well as an encyclopedia for the times you come across a character you’ve never seen before. The service won’t launch with every issue in DC’s massive library, but will instead include somewhere between 2,000 and 3,000 titles.
The final function, according to Craig Hunegs, president of Warner Bros. Digital Networks and president of business and strategy Warner Bros. Television Group, is that DC Universe will serve as a forum where fans of Supes, Bats and WW can have a place to chat about movies, shows, games and more.
“I believe that we’re creating something that will be a daily experience for people,” Hunegs said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “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. The comic book catalog will be updated regularly, the encyclopedia will be updated. There’s going to be tons of new content every day.”
Justice League or a Brainiac?
The idea of a collective repository for DC content is a great one. For too long, fans have needed to scour the internet to find their favorite shows, movies and comics, often bouncing between different services to get their fix.
The one aspect that should have folks nervous, however, is the forum aspect. DC understands that Twitter and Facebook aren't the best place to foster a sense of community among fans of specific characters, but there's a chance that a singular platform might become insular and, eventually, toxic.
According to The Verge, DC is already aware of that possible and claims that it will try to prevent that by moderating discussions in the community.
We'll have to wait until the Fall (sometime between September and November) of this year before we have the service in our gloved hands, but we're definitely excited to try DC's super-powered streaming service.
- You'll find plenty of DC shows on our best Netflix series round-up
