Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer One multiyear pandemic, two Hollywood strikes and New York Comic Con is back for its “first true, full event” kicking off Thursday.
And though the early days of COVID-19 are behind us, certain aspects of how live events changed between 2020 and 2024 are apparent in this year’s show — like the inclusion of a free livestream for several of the con’s top panels held at New York’s Javits Center for the four-day event.
While some might see that as giving away free content for a ticketed event, New York Comic Con owner ReedPop views it as a worthwhile business decision to maintain relationships with consumers. “I think there’s a lot of benefit for us to make our content accessible for fans that aren’t able to come,” ,” event director Kristina Rogers told Variety. “And I’m a true believer in, New York Comic Con brings the best of pop culture to the world, whether you’re in the building or not.
And if you’re in the room, you are getting access to things that the studios aren’t going to want to have us stream and moments behind the scenes and an extra level of joy and an extra prestige.
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