Anime shows “Demon Slayer” and “Gachiakuta” cover the trains.
A passenger boards a “Demon Slayer” wrapped trolley train at the Metropolitan Transit Center on 12th and Imperial Avenue downtown on Friday. San Diego Trolley’s signature red patina has been replaced with splashy displays of Mario Kart and anime characters with slashing swords.
International and are expected to bring in thousands of dollars for the cash-strapped transit agency. Nintendo, anime streamer Crunchyroll, Hulu and Amazon Prime are among the companies with ads all over the light-rail system. It costs roughly $16,000 for the production and installation to wrap a single trolley car, but some companies, like Hulu, have covered three cars to the tune of $48,000. That is just how much it costs to print out and slap on the trolley. There are additional fees just for the privilege to advertise on the train. San Diego’s Metropolitan Transit System, or MTS, has a contract with Clear Channel to handle getting the contracts and putting on the wraps, which take about a day to install. MTS was unable to provide exact advertising fees, noting there are variables for time of year and how long they are up, but they said it is guaranteed a minimum of $950,000 a year from Clear Channel.Comic-Con 2025: Are badges still available? Here’s what to know. One reason it’s hard to pin down exactly how much Comic-Con advertising will bring in: It includes more than just trolleys. MTS’ fiscal year 2025 budget — which is for 12 months and not just Comic-Con — estimates $2.9 million for all vehicle wraps , $224,000 for bus benches and $653,000 for its three-sided digital billboard it operates next to the Gaslamp Quarter trolley station. The cost seems to be a good deal to advertisers because all available slots sold out, said Mark Olson, MTS director of marketing. Last year, there were 36 wraps so this year is clearly a boon for the agency. When the program “It’s all hands on deck,” Olson said while showing off the trains downtown on Friday. “The whole agency rallies around this event.”apartment buildings, hotels and more — but the trolley wraps don’t seem to get the same complaints. Comic-Con attendees often film and take photos of their favorite trains, sometimes waiting at stations for the train to go by. Waiting for a train to Grantville on Friday morning, Jamari Taylor, 21, said he likes seeing the covered trolleys. “I think it’s actually fun,” he said. “There’s people talking about them. It creates more of a scene.” When the four-day event starts in two weeks, all wrapped trolleys can be found on the Green Line and the trolley’s special event route. Right now, they are filtering through the whole system, showing up from Mission Valley to San Diego State University. The reach of the displays goes beyond just people seeing them from freeways and train stations, but to its many passengers. Trolley ridership surges during the convention with 60,000 additional trips a day — more than double its usual ridership on the trolley and bus system combined. For comparison, a concert or Padres game usually averages 8,000 to 12,000 additional passengers. MTS is showing the love to its riders with employees at downtown stations handing out exclusive pins and cardboard trolleys, which double as a coin bank. Crunchyroll and Nintendo partnered with the agency to create the cardboard replicas. Revenue generated by MTS during Comic-Con goes directly into the service and pays for, among other things, all the extra employees it needs to operate during the convention. It comes at a good time: MTS faces $100 millionand is considering trying for a sales tax hike for the November 2026 ballot. Its board recently voted to permanently allow alcohol advertisements on bus shelters and trolleys.Passengers board the “Demon Slayer” trolley trains at the Metropolitan Transit Center at 12th and Imperial Avenue downtown on Friday. One of the recently wrapped trains from MTS crosses the Fifth Avenue intersection and Harbor Drive in the Gaslamp Quarter. An exclusive pin for riders of the San Diego Trolley for Comic-Con International to be handed out by MTS employees during the convention. An exclusive cardboard train replica for riders of the San Diego Trolley for Comic-Con International to be handed out by MTS employees during the convention outside downtown stations. for Comic-Con attendees to be used on the trolley or buses. It is $20 for a five-day pass, $16 for four days, $13 for three days and $10 for two days. Eagle-eyed locals may have already seen several of the wrapped trains in the past few weeks, with more coming out closer to the convention. Nintendo is a big presence, using its wraps to advertise its new Switch 2 console and games for it, Donkey Kong BananzaAnime streamer Crunchyroll has two trolley wraps, one for its very popular “Demon Slayer” series and another for its latest show, “Gachiakuta.” Amazon’s Prime network will be advertising two shows, “The Boys” spinoff “Gen V” and a new spy show, “Butterfly.” Multiplayer video game Brawl Stars also has a wrap. Arguably the most visible wrap will be Hulu, which covers the train in a green hue to advertise its animated offerings, including “The Simpsons” and “Family Guy.”Chula Vista trash collection disrupted as workers join nationwide strikeMassive, tennis-anchored sports complex in play for Chula Vista BayfrontSan Diego’s USS Carl Vinson joined in Arabian Sea by sister carrier USS Nimitz‘Devastating’: Trump is withholding $50M OK’d by Congress for San Diego County schools. Here’s which could lose the most. ‘Devastating’: Trump is withholding $50M OK’d by Congress for San Diego County schools. Here’s which could lose the most.
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