Wizard World Teams With Cinedigm To Launch Digital Comic Con Channel

Cinedigm has partnered with Wizard world to launch a direct-to-consumer digital network for fans of Comic Con, featuring an array of sci-fi, horror, fantasy, action, adventure, gamer, anime, animation and comedy content, as wel as an e-commerce retail destination featuring collectibles and exclusive merchandise. Cinedigm's library of content, featuring over 33,000 films and television episodes, 650 digital content partnerships and an acquisitions team sourcing new films and series will provide enthusiasts with compelling content year-round. Wizard World is the leading producer of pop culture conventions in North America aand will host 16 conventions in 2014, with more planned for 2015. "This is an exciting day for the fans of pop-culture around the country," said John Macaluso, Wizard World's CEO. "To have 24/7 access to all the content that Cinedigm and Wizard World collectively provide, at the touch of a button, provides tremendous value for our fans." The still-unnamed channel will feature films, television episodes, and programming from the Internet aimed at the 18-44 year old consumer audience, including selections from Cinedigm's nearly 2,000 episode anime library. Wizard World has already begun compiling its biggest panels from the year to air on the channel, and will continue filming at their future conventions throughout the winter and spring. Fans can look forward to between 150-200 hours of new footage from 2014. Wizard World is also using its more than 2,000 relationships with vendors, exhibitors and artists to create an exclusive Comic Con shopping experience on the network for collectors. Cinedigm's first digital channel, Docurama, launched as part of YouTube's Paid Content initiative in 2013, and is currently available on Roku, Xbox and Samsung, and will expand further in April 2014. The Comic Con channel is just one in a series of new channels Cinedigm plans to launch over the next 18 months. "We are excited to be diving further into this emerging, high growth business and have found an ideal partner in Wizard World for this Comic Con-targeted digital network," said Chris McGurk, Chairman and CEO of Cinedigm.  "We are confident that the combination of their fan base, live event expertise, access to talent, audience focus and in-house production capabilities coupled with Cinedigm's infrastructure, technology, content and distribution expertise, positions us for great success."