Comic-Con International, commonly referred to as San Diego Comic-Con, will stay in San Diego for at least one more year, the LA Times reports.
San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders announced today that Comic-Con organizers are extending their contract to use the city's convention center until at least 2016.
Comic-Con International, which will take place from July 18 to 21 next year, attracts more than 100,000 people to the city annually to check out exhibits and panels about all forms of pop culture, including video games.
In 2010, both Los Angeles and Anaheim tried to lure the show away from the city.
In recent years, show organizers have been facing growing complaints of overcrowding and shows that sell out in record time.
The LA Times reports that San Diego city officials have approved a $520-million expansion of the convention center in hopes of keeping Comic-Con and other big shows in the city. But that plan is currently in court over its financing.
Los Angeles recently won its bid to keep E3 in its city, signing a three year contract with the Electronic Entertainment Expo.
Update: Sanders responded to our request for comment with this prepared statement.
As we all know, Comic-Con has been a stunning success - it has transformed itself over the years from a relatively small gathering of comic book aficionados into an international spectacle, attracting A-list celebrities from around the world and pop culture fans from nearly every corner of the galaxy.
It turns our downtown area, specifically the Gaslamp Quarter, into kind of a high-tech Twilight Zone, offering up some of the best people watching you'll ever see.
Since its start here in 1970, Comic-Con has become an enormous source of pride for San Diego - a home grown event that has exploded in popularity.
It's not only an enormous source of pride - it's also an enormous source of revenue for San Diego - for the city, for the hotels, for the shops and for the restaurants. The economic impact, is, well, out of this world.
With an attendance of about 130,000 people, the convention today pumps nearly $180 million into the local economy and produces almost $3 million dollars a year in tax revenue that we can use for city services.
The city's current contract with Comic-Con runs through 2015.
Over the past several months, however, we've been working together - the city, Comic-Con and the tourism industry - on a one-year extension.
Earlier today, I was pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement that will keep Comic-Con - and all the super heroes, villains, cyborgs and stormtroopers - right here in San Diego through 2016.
I want to thank everyone at Comic-Con for its commitment to this city. We look forward to having this super event in San Diego for many eons to come.