New York Comic Con

What New York Comic Con does

New York Comic Con (NYCC) is an annual four-day pop culture convention held at the Javits Center in Manhattan, operated by ReedPop, a boutique events group within RX (RELX Inc.). Founded in 2006, NYCC is the East Coast's largest pop culture convention and serves four primary constituencies: pop culture fans (250,000+ attendees in 2025), comic creators and artists (the Artist Alley program), exhibitors and sponsors from major entertainment studios and publishers (1,250+ participants in 2025), and industry professionals including librarians, educators, retailers, and press. The event's product surface spans the core convention (panels, celebrity meet-and-greets, photo ops/autographs, cosplay competitions, talent show, and the Crown Championships cosplay qualifier), supported by a proprietary Fan Verification ticketing platform built on Leap Event Technology, an owned Popverse streaming and news platform, and official merchandise.

NYCC's business model is multi-streamed. Consumer revenue comes from tiered ticket sales (single-day, 4-day, professional, and specialty badges), Popverse subscriptions ($5.99/month Fan Monthly; $125/year Superfan with presale access and merch discounts), photo ops and autograph transactions, and official merchandise. B2B revenue comes from exhibitor booth rentals, Artist Alley table fees ($580 per 6' table including two badges), and sponsorships/brand partnerships with major entertainment and consumer brands. The go-to-market motion is event-driven, leveraging Fan Verification profiles, ticket pre-sales, Popverse membership, media partnerships (Screenrant, Collider, CBR, The Illuminerdi, Nerdist), and a multi-channel presence (Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok, Threads, YouTube, email newsletter, and the owned Popverse site).

The event generated 81.8 billion media impressions and 4,800+ stories/segments in 2025, with an estimated $35 million economic impact to New York City (down from $80M in 2024, reflecting a different measurement methodology or scope). NYCC is part of ReedPop's broader portfolio of pop culture events (C2E2, Emerald City Comic Con, PAX events, MCM Comic Con), and benefits from cross-promotion, shared infrastructure, and group-level partnerships (e.g., NYC Tourism + Conventions). The next edition is scheduled for October 8-11, 2026, celebrating the show's 20th anniversary with a 'Coney Island' theme.

Name

New York Comic Con

Legal name

RX Global

Website

https://newyorkcomiccon.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

New York Comic Con is an annual four-day pop culture convention held at the Javits Center in Manhattan, operated by ReedPop within RX (RELX Inc.). It serves 250,000+ fans, 1,250+ exhibitors, and major entertainment studios through ticketed events, Artist Alley, sponsor activations, and the Popverse subscription streaming platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pop Culture Conventions and Live Entertainment Events

NAICS

Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711), Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries (713), Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Culture, Entertainment & Fan Conventions Organizers (THAHABAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Collectibles & Hobby Shows (MPAGAFAN), General Consumer Expos & Trade Shows (MPAGAFAA), Virtual Trade Shows & Expos (Digital Booths, Lead Capture) (MPAGAOAB), Non-Sports Trading Cards Retail (TCG/Entertainment) (CRALAGAB), Comic Books, Graphic Novels & Manga Retail (CRALAAAF)

Keywords

• Pop culture conventions
• Comic convention events
• Fan event ticketing
• Entertainment exhibitions
• Convention merchandise

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: NYCC generates primary revenue through multi-tier ticket sales including single-day, 4-day, and specialty badges, with Fan Verification requirements for purchase access.
2. Exhibitor and Artist Alley Fees: Revenue from exhibitor booth rentals and Artist Alley table assignments. Artist Alley tables cost $580 for a full 6' table with two badges.
3. Popverse Membership Subscriptions: Monthly and annual membership subscriptions providing streaming access, exclusive presales, and merchandise discounts.
4. Photo Ops and Autograph Sessions: Revenue from celebrity meet-and-greet photo operations and autograph sessions sold through Epic Photo Ops.
5. Official Merchandise: Sales of exclusive NYCC-branded merchandise through the official online merch store and onsite.
6. Sponsorships and Brand Partnerships: Revenue from brand sponsorships and partnerships, including exhibitor fees from major entertainment studios and publishers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

New York Comic Con operates a four-day annual pop culture convention at the Javits Center in New York City, selling consumer tickets (single-day and 4-day), exhibitor booths, Artist Alley tables, official merchandise, photo ops and autograph sessions, and Popverse membership subscriptions. The event brings together major film/TV studios, comic publishers, retailers, and independent creators with fans through studio panels, celebrity appearances, cosplay competitions, and live entertainment programming.

Product overview

New York Comic Con is a pop culture convention event operated by ReedPop, held annually at the Javits Center in New York City. The company's offerings center on the core NYCC event (featuring celebrity appearances, panels, exhibitors, Artist Alley, and cosplay), supported by the Fan Verification System for ticketing and the Popverse membership program. Popverse offers two subscription tiers: Fan Monthly ($5.99/month) for streaming access to panels and ReedPop archives, and Superfan ($125/year) adding ticket presale access, merchandise discounts, and priority Photo Ops/Autographs. Additional offerings include Artist Alley for independent creators, NYCC Legal Masterclass CLE courses, the Crown Championships cosplay competition, and the Talent Show. The company also provides hotel booking partnerships and parking reservations through third-party services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 250,000+ attendees and $35 million economic boost to NYC in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered support, core and minor.

• Connections HousingsupportOthersOfficial housing company providing discounted hotel rates for NYCC attendees. Manages room block reservations through Connections Housing platform with special group rates.
• Paragon Creative AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative development and production solutions company partnering with ReedPop for livestream of NYCC panels to global audiences via Popverse and media partner channels.
• Disney Lorcana (Ravensburger)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerDisney Lorcana Trading Card Game powered the NYCC Livestream as a sponsor of the live streaming initiative.
• NYC Tourism + ConventionscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial tourism partner for NYCC, providing economic impact figures and the NYC Delegate Pass program offering discounts throughout the five boroughs.
• ScreenrantminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner distributing NYCC livestream content and coverage across social channels.
• ColliderminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner distributing NYCC livestream content and coverage across social channels.
• CBRminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner distributing NYCC livestream content and coverage across social channels.
• The IlluminerdiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner distributing NYCC livestream content and coverage across social channels.
• NerdistminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner distributing NYCC livestream content and coverage across social channels.
• SpotHerosupportGTM or Marketing PartnerParking reservations app partner offering discounted parking rates for NYCC attendees at the Javits Center.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• WonderCon: A mid-sized comic and pop culture convention run by Comic-Con International (San Diego Comic-Con's parent). Comparable in exhibitor mix and panel programming to NYCC but smaller in scale and West Coast-focused.
• C2E2 (Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo): Another ReedPop-run fan convention in Chicago with a similar exhibitor, panel, and Artist Alley structure to NYCC. Operates as a Midwest counterpart to NYCC and shares back-office infrastructure under the same parent.
• Anime Expo: North America's largest anime convention, held annually in Los Angeles. Competes with NYCC for the same anime/manga/gaming fan audience and exhibitor dollars, particularly studios and publishers with overlapping IP portfolios.
• Emerald City Comic Con: A ReedPop-operated pop culture convention held annually in Seattle, directly comparable to NYCC in format, exhibitor mix, and target audience. It serves as a regional Pacific Northwest counterpart within the same parent portfolio.
• Dragon Con: A large multi-genre fan convention held over Labor Day weekend in Atlanta. Comparable in scale (~80K+ attendees) and programming breadth, and competes with NYCC for fan travel and entertainment sponsor budgets.
• San Diego Comic-Con: The largest US pop culture convention and NYCC's primary direct competitor for studio sponsorships, exhibitor dollars, and fan travel. Comparable in format (4-day annual convention, panels, exhibit floor, Artist Alley) but operates on the West Coast and is run by Comic-Con International rather than ReedPop.
• MCM Comic Con: ReedPop's UK/European fan convention brand running events in London, Manchester, and other cities. Directly comparable to NYCC in format and is owned by the same parent, making it a useful operational benchmark.
• Fan Expo: A multi-city pop culture convention brand (Fan Expo Canada, Fan Expo Philadelphia, Fan Expo Chicago, etc.) with a similar celebrity-guests, comic-creators, and exhibitor-floor model. Directly comparable in offering and audience to NYCC.
• PAX (Penny Arcade Expo): ReedPop's gaming-focused fan convention series (PAX West, East, South, Unplugged). Directly comparable as a sibling ReedPop event and a competitor for fan mindshare and gaming/exhibitor dollars that might otherwise flow to NYCC.

Broad incumbents

• Comic-Con International: The non-profit organization behind San Diego Comic-Con and WonderCon. Functions as a broader incumbent in the comic-con space, setting industry programming norms and competing with NYCC for studios' flagship activation budgets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NY_Comic_Con
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/thepopverse/about
• Facebookfacebook.com/newyorkcomiccon
• Instagraminstagram.com/newyorkcomiccon
• TikToktiktok.com/@newyorkcomiccon?lang=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/new-york-comic-con

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about New York Comic Con