DC FanDome 2021 Triples Viewership From 2020 Event

Viewership for DC FanDome tripled in 2021 compared to what it was in 2020. Introduced in 2020 in lieu of the traditional San Diego Comic-Con, DC FanDome was a virtual event that allowed Warner Bros. to promote their slate of DC films and television series during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020 fans got their first look at Cheetah in Wonder Woman 1984, confirmation on the character roster for The Suicide Squad, and a teaser trailer for The Batman.

The event was a hit, and Warner Bros. set up another DC FanDome event for October 16, 2021. Anticipation was high as audiences were promised a new trailer for The Batman as well as first looks at The Flash, Black Adam, Aquaman, and the Lost Kingdom as well as multiple television series based on DC Comics that air across various networks like HBO Max, Netflix, and The CW. Fans who tuned in also got concept art for the upcoming Batgirl and Blue Beetle films, official renewals for series like Pennyworth, Doom Patrol, and Titans, and exclusive comic book news like a change to Superman’s motto.

Warner Bros. has now revealed that DC FanDome 2021 live stream brought in 66 million viewers, triple the 22 million viewers who tuned in to the event in 2020. DC FanDome trended #1 on Twitter for eight hours in the United States and trended in the top 50 in over 53 countries around the globe. The event was made available in 12 languages in over 220 countries. Ann Sarnoff, Chair and CEO, WarnerMedia Studios and Networks released a statement regarding the event:

“With triple the fan traffic of last year, DC FanDome 2021 exceeded all of our expectations. We continue to innovate across the company in service of our fans, and I cannot overstate the creativity and hard work that went into this highly curated, global digital event. We gave fans what they wanted – the very best of all things DC – and their engagement and response have been fantastic. We’re as excited as they are to deliver on all the great content DC FanDome highlighted.”

There are a number of factors for the increase in viewership. The premiere of The Batman trailer was a highly anticipated release, and audiences who missed last year’s event but heard of all the reveals likely tuned in now knowing what to expect. Part of the increase in success could be attributed to how Warner Bros. chose to air the event. Unlike DC FanDome 2020, which saw the television and film panels split across two separate days, DC FanDome 2021 had the two together so multiple audience demographics were watching the event. The other is how Warner Bros. chose to stream the event, as they made 2021 available for a live stream on YouTube as well as the DC FanDome website, whereas in 2020 the event could only be watched on the website. With a readily available platform like YouTube, it made the event more accessible.

With DC FanDome another success for Warner Bros., it is likely the studio will announce another event for 2022. 2022 sees the release of five theatrical DC films (The Batman, DC League of Super-Pets, Black Adam, The Flash, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom). With more films like Blue Beetle, Batgirl, Zatanna, The Metal Men, and Static Shock in various stages of development as well as the various DC television series currently on or set to premiere there will still be plenty to announce, reveal, and surprise audiences with.