Anyone who’s ever been to Comic-Con knows it’s impossible to plan for, and you’re not going to see all you want to see. That’s not to mention the thousands of people who can’t even make it to San Diego to attend.

In conjunction with Lionsgate, Comic-Con aims to rectify that fan dilemma with Comic-Con HQ, an ad-free streaming service that features unparalleled access to the event, original unscripted and scripted programming, and a library of genre films.

“The thing that’s most exciting [about CCHQ] is that when I go to Comic-Con, there’s always an element of choice. I want to attend this panel, so I miss that panel. I want to go to that sanctioned event, so I miss that other attraction,” said Joe LeFavi, self-described ambassador of awesome for Lionsgate Entertainment, who’s heading up marketing for the new channel. “We’re eliminating that sacrifice from the Comic-Con experience. Go wait in line for four hours for Ballroom 20 and go to the Game of Thrones activation and have a blast. All of the things you wanted to see and miss, we’ve got your back. Go on the platform, it’ll be there for months after the event. Everything that you wanted to see, we’ll capture for you.”

Anyone who’s stood, sat or slept in line for SDCC (guilty) just let out a sigh of relief.

“The idea came from every heart of every person who has ever attended Comic-Con. Every time we talk to someone about this platform, this is the thing they were hoping existed and now it’s finally coming to life,” said LeFavi. “San Diego Comic-Con realized that their experience was getting so big, not everyone can attend and be a part of it, and they wanted to change something about that. This is a thriving multi-generational community that should not be contained to the walls of the convention hall.”

Containment is lifted on Free Comic Book Day (May 7), when the subscription video on-demand platform launches its free beta, with an official June launch leading up to SDCC in July.

“We’re the title sponsor for Free Comic Book Day, and it’s one of those communal events, like Christmas for the Comic-Con community,” said LeFavi. “Having that be one of the first ways to engage with fans across the nation in 3,000 brick and mortar shops to say, ‘Hey, this is for you, we’re doing this for you. Please be involved’ is huge.”

More than anything, CCHQ aims to endear itself to the community.

“We’re finding ways to do more grassroots individual engagement. We’re working with a lot of the individual stores to help them make their events bigger and welcome more people,” said LeFavi. “We’re working directly with Diamond Distributors so they can market and expand more. We’re even contributing a lot of the money to the retailers. It costs money to be involved with Free Comic Book Day. Even something as simple as bags cost a lot of money to put those 6 million comics in and out. We’re invested to make it stronger, better and more affordable for the retailers so this event can be as big as possible.”

Social media is an important facet of the grassroots campaign.

“Since we are a community, we want to feel that way from day one. A panel is an extraordinary thing, but the open mic in the center aisle is what makes it Comic-Con,” said LeFavi. “We will be continuously growing across all of the major networks so that there’s a real meaningful exchange between fans, and all the people producing shows are tweeting, posting and laughing every day.”

In a world bloated with content, CCHQ has an unassailable brand and a unique proposition that LeFavi believes gives it an edge.

“The unique proposition is not only the fact that we have a unique official exclusive relationship with what is essentially the largest media event in the world,” he said. “But the fan has never had the power to curate their own Comic-Con experience. That’s something unique to our platform. While a lot of the other SVOD’s out there are doing a little bit for everyone, everything in our platform has been handpicked just for them. I think that’s something, alongside the people we’re working with, the authenticity and passion we’re bringing, I think that is going to stand us out in the end.”

CCHQ aims to stand out at Comic-Con, where they will host a live stage at the Hilton Bayfront, live-streaming original programming six hours a day that anyone can attend.

They will also send a fleet of cameramen capturing everything from the outdoor sanctioned events to the Masquerade Ball and the Eisner Awards, and shining a light on the smaller panels that don’t get the same kind of press coverage as Hall H.

“We’re trying to make it as comprehensive an experience as possible,” said LeFavi.

But CCHQ goes beyond SDCC, with a slew of original programming that includes Kings of Con from Supernatural stars Richard Speight and Rob Benedict inspired by real-life fan convention experiences; an entertainment pop culture news show and a late night talk show from Kevin Pereira (Attack of the Show) and his company Attack Media; the science entertainment program Impossible Science starring world champion illusionist Jason Latimer; a geek couture reality contest hosted by fangirl fashion company Her Universe’s founder Ashley Eckstein; and much more, with further announcements made leading up to July.

“We don’t want to be just a platform, but for Comic-Con to be a part of your life every day,” LeFavi said.

It’s clear that their heart is in the right place.

“I’ve been going to fan events since I was eight years old, and this is my home. This is where I found out who I was and where I belong in this world, realizing my passions could become my profession and realizing that this could be a bigger part of my life. That community, that amazing meaningful change, it needs to be bigger,” said LeFavi. “The positive role that our passions play in everyday life, we can help more people access that and experience that. If we can have one goal, as people think about Comic-con as a community, they’ll come to us for the same reasons, that this is the place they go to find and express what they love and share with the people who understands them and appreciates them the most.”

For an event that becomes more corporate every year, CCHQ is a way to refocus back on the fan experience. CCHQ doesn’t want to be seen as a network, but as a friend.

“We want to be a real member of the community. We’re a peer; we’re just as passionate and excited about this as they are,” said LeFavi.

Anyone can sign up for free access to the Comic-Con HQ Beta now. CCHQ launches on May 7, Free Comic Book Day, and will be available on iOS/Android devices and Internet browsers. The subscription service, which will require a fee after SDCC, will expand across other devices such as Roku, AppleTV, Xbox One and more, throughout the year.

[Image courtesy of Comic-Con via Wookie Gunner]

Tags:


  Save as PDF