San Diego Comic-Con contract extended until 2018

SAN DIEGO, July 2 (UPI) -- San Diego Comic-Con will remain in San Diego through 2018, San Diego's mayor announced Thursday.

NBC San Diego reported negotiations had been ongoing to keep the convention in the city. Comic Con 2015 organizer David Glazner said, "It was touch-and-go for a while."

One of the main issues faced by the convention and the city was the rate of hotel rooms, which was eventually figured out. Deadline reports one of the largest challenges faced by the city was the lure of Los Angeles and Anaheim.

The San Diego Convention Center can barely house the growing convention, and many of the proposals for expansion of the center had been turned down by the city. San Diego was able to keep it in the city by providing a flat convention rate offered to CCI the parent company.

Last year the convention drew an estimated 130,000 fanboys, cosplayers and Hollywood studios and networks to San Diego. The city has a vested interest in the convention and its crowds. Mayor Kevin Faulconer mentioned the convention brings in $135 million-plus annually to the city during the press conference.

The deal for the contract extension comes just ahead of this year's 46th annual Comic-Con, which runs July 7-9.