DC Universe (streaming service)

DC Universe is a defunct American video-on-demand streaming service operated by DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Digital Networks. It was announced in April 2017, with the title and service formally announced in May 2018. The service included original television programming, access to select animated series and films from DC's back catalogue, a rotating selection of comics from DC Comics, forum discussion space, and a merchandise store. DC Universe launched in a beta state in late August 2018, with its full release on September 15, 2018. The service won the 2020 Webby People's Voice Award for Media Streaming. In August 2020, it was revealed that all remaining original programming on the service would eventually move to HBO Max, and the following month, DC announced the service would be relaunched as DC Universe Infinite, solely a digital comics subscription service, on January 21, 2021.

DC Universe
Type of site
Video on demand
Available inEnglish
Successor(s)
HeadquartersBurbank, California,
United States
Area servedUnited States
OwnerWarnerMedia[1][2]
Key peopleSam Ades (GM & SVP, Warner Bros. Digital Networks)
ServicesStreaming service, OTT
Parent
URLwww.dcuniverse.com
RegistrationMonthly subscription required to access content
LaunchedSeptember 15, 2018 (2018-09-15)
Current statusDefunct (January 21, 2021 (2021-01-21))

History and development

In April 2017, DC Universe was announced as an untitled service with original television programming,[4] with its title announced a year later in May 2018.[5] The next month, the features of the service beyond original programming were revealed, including access to older DC live-action and animated films and animated series for a select period of time, a rotating selection of comics, forum discussion space, a merchandise store, and DC encyclopedia.[6][7] Sam Ades, the general manager and senior vice-president at Warner Bros. Digital Network, manages the service.[7]

The service's first slate of programming, Titans and Young Justice: Outsiders, was revealed in April 2017.[4] That November, Harley Quinn, a half-hour animated series, was announced for the service.[8] In January 2018, a Superman prequel series titled Metropolis was announced, focusing on Lois Lane and Lex Luthor.[9] In May 2018, the live-action series Swamp Thing and Doom Patrol were announced,[10][11] and Metropolis was being redeveloped.[10] That July, a live-action Stargirl series was announced, which would also feature additional members of the Justice Society of America.[12] A month later, the daily news program DC Daily was announced.[13]

In June 2020, it was announced that DC Universe would be offering its subscribers the HBO Max streaming service at a discounted price of US$4.99 a month; this applied to new HBO Max subscribers.[14] At the end of July 2020, DC Universe no longer offered the yearly subscription option for the service.[15] In August 2020, DC Comics publisher Jim Lee revealed that all original programming would be migrated over to HBO Max. Speaking to the community aspect of DC Universe, as well as the ability to access the backlog of comics titles, Lee said "there is always going to be a need for that" and that DC was looking at ways to transform the platform so that content would not go away.[16]

In September 2020, DC announced that the service would change its name to DC Universe Infinite and become solely a digital comics subscription service on January 21, 2021. DC Universe subscriptions would automatically transfer over to DC Universe Infinite.[17] Regarding the original programming, Young Justice seasons 1–4, Titans season 1–3, Doom Patrol seasons 1–3, the first season of Stargirl, and Harley Quinn seasons 1-3 moved to HBO Max to become Max Original series, with new DC series and "key DC classics" also being available on HBO Max.[18]

Availability

DC Universe launched in the U.S. on September 15, 2018,[19] and was available on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Xbox One in addition to web and mobile web access.[7] Each subscription to DC Universe could be used on two devices at a time.[20] Pre-orders for the streaming service became available starting on July 19, 2018,[21] while an early beta-version was made available to select users in August 2018.[6][22] Live-action series were streamed in 4K Ultra HD HDR.[23]

DC Universe was only available in the United States. At Fan Expo Canada 2018, DC editor Dan DiDio claimed the service was being beta tested in Canada with plans to launch at an unspecified date.[24] Meanwhile, several original shows from the service were acquired by Corus Entertainment (for broadcast on its Teletoon, Adult Swim, and Showcase cable networks), while Doom Patrol was acquired by Bell Media for its CTV Sci-Fi Channel.[25][26][27] Titans was distributed internationally on Netflix.[28][29]

Content

Original programming
DC Universe original programming
Title Genre Original release Seasons Episodes Notes
Live-action
Titans Action, drama, superhero October 12, 2018 – November 29, 2019[lower-alpha 1] 2 24 Internationally distributed by Netflix.[28] The series will move to HBO Max, starting with season 3.[18]
Doom Patrol Comedy-drama, superhero February 15, 2019 – August 6, 2020[lower-alpha 1] 2 24 Co-production and distribution with HBO Max starting with season 2.[30] The series will move fully to HBO Max, starting with season 3.[31][18]
Swamp Thing Horror, superhero May 31, 2019 – August 2, 2019 1 10 Cancelled[32]
Stargirl Action, drama, superhero May 18, 2020 – August 10, 2020[lower-alpha 1] 1 13 Episodes aired the next day on The CW.[33] Renewed by The CW for a second season to air exclusively on the network.[34] The first season became available on HBO Max when the service changed to DC Universe Infinite.[18]
Animation
Young Justice Superhero January 4, 2019 – August 27, 2019[lower-alpha 1] 1 26 Acquired from Cartoon Network starting with Outsiders.[4] The series will move to HBO Max, starting with the fourth season.[18]
Harley Quinn Adult animation, action, black comedy, superhero November 29, 2019 – June 26, 2020[lower-alpha 1] 2 26 The series will move to HBO Max, starting with the third season.[18]
Other
DC Daily News program September 15, 2018 – July 3, 2020 N/A 450 Ended[35][36]
DC Universe All Star Games Game show February 28, 2020 – March 27, 2020 1 6 Ended[37]

BizarroTV, an anthology series, was announced in October 2019 as being in development, and had an expected release date in 2020.[38] It was unclear if it will migrate to an HBO Max Original series when the service became DC Universe Infinite.[18]

Films and television series

At launch, the service included the four live-action Christopher Reeve Superman films, Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, animated television series Batman: The Animated Series, Static Shock, Young Justice, Teen Titans,[6] Batman Beyond, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and Justice League,[21] live-action television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and Wonder Woman, the last remastered in high-definition,[22] and animated films including Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, Green Lantern: First Flight, and Wonder Woman,[6] among others. Content was updated on a monthly basis.[20] In March 2019, the service added the 1970s live-action series Shazam!.[39]

Accolades

DC Universe won the 2020 Webby People's Voice Award for Media Streaming in the category Web.[40]

Notes
  1. The listed conclusion date represents the final episode released on DC Universe; this series has continued onwards on a different service.

References
  1. Donnelly, Matt (October 10, 2018). "WarnerMedia to Launch Direct to Consumer Streaming Service in Late 2019". Variety. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
  2. Andreeva, Nellie (December 14, 2018). "Kevin Reilly Named Head Of Content & Strategy For WarnerMedia's New Streaming Service". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
  3. "Introducing DC UNIVERSE: A First-of-Its-Kind Digital Subscription Service Designed Especially for Fans" (Press release). DC Entertainment. Business Wire. June 28, 2018. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
  4. Andreeva, Nellie (April 25, 2017). "DC Digital Service To Launch With Titans Series From Greg Berlanti & Akiva Goldsman And Young Justice: Outsiders". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 15, 2019. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  5. Petski, Denise (May 2, 2018). "DC's New Digital Service Gets A Name". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 17, 2018. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  6. Ramos, Dino-Ray (June 28, 2018). "DC Universe Streaming Service Set To Launch With Live-Action 'Titans', 'Doom Patrol', & 'Swamp Thing'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  7. McMillian, Graeme (June 28, 2018). "DC Unveils Details of DC Universe Streaming Service". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 28, 2018. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  8. Andreeva, Nellie (November 21, 2017). "Harley Quinn: DC Digital Service Orders Animated Series About Comic Book Villainess From Powerless Trio". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 23, 2019. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  9. Otterson, Joe (January 30, 2018). "Superman Prequel Series Metropolis Lands 13 Episode Order at DC Digital Service". Variety. Archived from the original on November 24, 2018. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  10. Andreeva, Nellie (May 2, 2018). "Swamp Thing Drama Series In Works At DC Digital Service, Metropolis Heads To Redevelopment". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 3, 2018. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  11. Goldberg, Lesley (May 14, 2018). "'Doom Patrol' Live-Action Series From Greg Berlanti Set at DC Digital Service". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 15, 2018. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  12. Patten, Dominic (July 19, 2018). "Geoff Johns To Write & Produce 'Stargirl' Series For DC Universe – Comic-Con". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 19, 2018. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  13. Pedersen, Erik (August 22, 2018). "'DC Daily' Set For DC Universe Streaming Service; Kevin Smith To Host Kickoff Show". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 3, 2018. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
  14. Bjornson, Greta (June 30, 2020). "DC Universe Pairs up With HBO Max for New Streaming Bundle". Decider. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  15. Gelman, Samuel (July 21, 2020). "DC Universe No Longer Offering Yearly Subscriptions". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
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  18. Mitovich, Matt Webb (September 18, 2020). "DC Universe to Relaunch With New Name, as All Original Shows Migrate to HBO Max — Get Pricing Details". TVLine. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  19. Ramos, Dino-Ray (August 29, 2018). "DC Universe Digital Subscription Service To Launch On Batman Day; Sets 'Titans' Premiere". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 30, 2018. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  20. Liptak, Andrew (August 29, 2018). "DC's streaming video service will launch on September 15th". The Verge. Archived from the original on October 21, 2018. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  21. "'DC UNIVERSE Pre-Orders Open at $7.99/Month". Newsarama. July 19, 2018. Archived from the original on December 3, 2018. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  22. Polo, Susana (June 28, 2018). "DC Comics unveils streaming service with a lot more than just shows". Polygon. Archived from the original on October 4, 2018. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  23. Cranz, Alex (September 18, 2020). "The Excellent DC Universe Is Dead, and a Comics-Only Service Is Taking Its Place". io9. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  24. Barr, Calvin (September 16, 2018). "DC Universe is Coming to Canada (Eventually)". Screen Rant. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
  25. "Corus Entertainment's Powerful Specialty Portfolio Announces Lineup of 2019-2020 Orders". Newswire (Press release). May 30, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
  26. "When Will Young Justice: Outsiders Release Internationally?". Screen Rant. January 24, 2019. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
  27. "Doom Patrol". Bellmedia.ca. November 21, 2019. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  28. Andreeva, Nellie (October 1, 2018). "Titans: Netflix To Distribute New DC Universe Series Internationally". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 23, 2019. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
  29. Sorrentino, Mike (December 21, 2018). "Titans season 1 is now on DC Universe, international Netflix release on Jan. 11". CNET. Archived from the original on December 27, 2018. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
  30. Petski, Denise (July 20, 2019). "'Doom Patrol" Renewed For Season 2 By DC Universe Via Deal With HBO Max – Comic-Con". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 21, 2019. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  31. Goldberg, Lesley (September 12, 2020). "'Doom Patrol' Renewed for Season 3 on HBO Max". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  32. Roots, Kimberly (June 6, 2019). "Swamp Thing Cancelled at DC Universe". TVLine. Archived from the original on June 6, 2019. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
  33. Andreeva, Nellie; Petski, Denise (November 21, 2019). "'Stargirl' Episodes To Air on the CW Network & Its Digital Platforms After DC Universe Debut". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 22, 2019. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  34. Mitovich, Matt Webb (July 6, 2020). "DC's Stargirl Renewed for Season 2, Which Will Be Exclusive to The CW". TVLine. Archived from the original on July 6, 2020. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  35. Sottile, Alexis (September 15, 2018). "DC Daily Launches on Batman Day With New Look At The Titans Show". SyFy. Archived from the original on September 16, 2018. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
  36. Sneider, Jeff (June 8, 2020). "Exclusive: 'DC Daily' Canceled on DC Universe Streaming Service". Collider. Archived from the original on June 8, 2020. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  37. "DC UNIVERSE ADDS SIXTH EPISODE OF "DC UNIVERSE ALL STAR GAMES," MAKES MINI-SERIES AVAILABLE TO NON-SUBSCRIBERS". DC Comics. March 27, 2020.
  38. Shaw-Williams, Hannah (October 3, 2019). "DC Universe Announces Bizarro World Anthology TV Show". Screen Rant. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  39. "Watch Shazam!". DC Universe. Archived from the original on June 5, 2020. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  40. Kastrenakes, Jacob (May 20, 2020). "Here are all the winners of the 2020 Webby Awards". The Verge. Archived from the original on May 21, 2020. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
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