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"F-k Batman."
When the trailer for "Titans," the first original series of DC Universe's new streaming service, was created in July, this line was unmarked. Actor Brenton Thwaites played the role of Dick Grayson, who in DC Comics is not only Bruce Wayne's first Batman Robin, but also the leader of the Titans (sometimes teenagers), a group of young adult superheroes. In their many versions, the Titans have covered superheroes, soapy melodramas and even comedies. The movie "Titans", produced live by Warner Bros. Television, is darker than ever.
"This platform allows us to creatively reach the kind of programming we have never done before," says Jim Lee, Creative Director at DC Entertainment.
This platform, DC Universe, was officially launched on Friday. The subscription app includes a digital comic reader with a sample of DC's nearly century-old library and social media platform. But its centerpiece is a streaming service that will house an in-depth archival programming and ambitious new series of original series – of which "Titans" will be the first piece.
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Titans comes from executive producers Greg Berlanti, Akiva Goldsman and Geoff Johns. Live action series "Doom Patrol" by Jeremy Carver are also in preparation. Swamp Thing by James Wan; "Stargirl" of Johns; and the new animated series "Harley Quinn" and "Young Justice: Outsiders". Lee is currently working with Warner Bros. Studio. Television to identify other DC properties for future development.
According to the president of Warner Bros. Digital Networks, Craig Hunegs, DC Universe will present a new episode of an original series per week starting next month and, by 2020, it will increase to two new episodes a week.
"Producers and writers do not miss out on the lot who want to do shows for us, because we promise them real creative freedom," Hunegs said. "You will not only see" Titans ", but also" Doom Patrol "," Swamp Thing "," Stargirl ", a kind of creative dynamism that you may not see with traditional TV shows. "
DC has been under the aegis of Warner Bros for decades. But taking advantage of the brand's properties has become in recent years a particularly important part of the studio's business. In the movie, Warner Bros. produced a mixed bag DC, with "Justice League" falling flat at the box office, but "Wonder Woman" outperforming with critics and ticket buyers and causing a sequel ahead. Television, however, has been a force. The CW – jointly owned by the studio and CBS – has proved to be a successful platform for a host of DC shows, including 'Arrow', 'The Flash' and 'Supergirl', offering Warner Bros. long lucrative queues. The Warner Bros. Agreements and CBS with Netflix, which serve as secondary focus for CW's programs, have created a model that makes these series profitable and the CW a valuable business for both parents.
If DC Universe succeeds, this success could look like the CW. Hunegs refuses to discuss specific subscriber projections for DC Universe, but it would be nearly impossible for the service – which will cost $ 74.99 a year – to gather enough customers to justify the high cost of serial production.
This does not mean that DC Universe emissions can not be monetized. The application is launched today in the United States, international distribution being considered. In the meantime, Warner Bros. would pursue a licensing agreement for "Titans" who would see another service or streaming platform serve as a home outside the United States. Such an agreement would reflect the strategy used by CBS for: Discovery. This series, which costs approximately $ 8 million per episode, is broadcast in the United States on the CBS All Access streaming service, which has approximately 2 million subscribers. But an agreement with Netflix to broadcast "Discovery" outside the United States covers most of the costs of the series.
An aggressive licensing strategy for the original series would help Warner Bros. to make DC Universe viable as it works to convert the vast pool of fans of the DC brand into subscribers.
"I think from DC Entertainment's point of view it's a natural extension and an evolution of what we've been doing for decades," says Lee. "We are one of Warner Media's most prominent companies. Every year, we participate in conferences and interact with hundreds of thousands of fans, participating in panels, awareness-raising activities, contests, gifts, etc. We live in a time when technology allows us to interact with our fans 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. "
Direct-to-consumer games have become an increased focal point for traditional media conglomerates. The former Time Warner companies recently acquired by AT & T are no exception. The telecom giant has spoken openly about its intention to dump resources into HBO in hopes of developing a challenger for Netflix. Disney, meanwhile, plans to launch next year a pair of entertainment streaming services, and with its application ESPN +, she has already done in the field of sports. Comcast and other media giants are expected to make their own entries into the SVOD space in the not too distant future.
It is not yet clear, in an area where overcrowding is fast, how much room there is for targeted products such as DC Universe. Consumers are facing an increasing number of options for digital entertainment services, but the amount of money they wish or can spend for these services is not unlimited.
For Warner Bros., however, DC Universe represents an ambitious attempt to create a new platform for one of its most valuable assets, with significant potential spin-offs.
"This is of course an OTT standalone service, but also a way to promote our properties and promote our movies and TV shows, and create a truly compelling immersive experience, all of our DC content in one in law. It will be very useful for fans, "says Hunegs. "Making the investment in the original series was an easy decision. And frankly, if we did not want to do it, we did not seriously want to create the best possible version of DCU. I'm sure it's going to pay off in the next two years and that's going to be a pillar of the upcoming studio. "
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