Funimation has officially completed its acquisition of anime streaming service Crunchyroll for $1.175 billion USD, Sony Pictures announced today.
Now that Sony has acquired Crunchyroll from AT&T, it is now responsible for two of the biggest anime streaming services. The goal of Sony Pictures now is to create “a unified anime subscription experience as soon as possible.” The agreement by Sony Pictures and Crunchyroll was first announced in December 2020. Currently, Crunchyroll has more than 120 million registered users from more than 200 countries.
“We are very excited to welcome Crunchyroll to the Sony Group,” said Kenichiro Yoshida, President and CEO at Sony Group Corporation. “Anime is a rapidly growing medium that enthralls and inspires emotion among audiences around the globe. The alignment of Crunchyroll and Funimation will enable us to get even closer to the creators and fans who are the heart of the anime community. We look forward to delivering even more outstanding entertainment that fills the world with emotion through anime.”
“Crunchyroll adds tremendous value to Sony’s existing anime businesses, including Funimation and our terrific partners at Aniplex and Sony Music Entertainment Japan,” said Tony Vinciquerra, Chairman and CEO at Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. “With Crunchyroll and Funimation, we are committed to creating the ultimate anime experience for fans and presenting a unique opportunity for our key partners, publishers, and the immensely talented creators to continue to deliver their masterful content to audiences around the world. With the addition of Crunchyroll, we have an unprecedented opportunity to serve anime fans like never before and deliver the anime experience across any platform they choose, from theatrical, events, home entertainment, games, streaming, linear TV — everywhere and every way fans want to experience their anime. Our goal is to create a unified anime subscription experience as soon as possible.”
This comes as AT&T is spinning off and merging its WarnerMedia business with TV media company Discovery.
The new acquisition now raises new questions about the future of Crunchyroll.
[Sources]: Sony Pictures: Sony’s Funimation Global Group Completes Acquisition of Crunchyroll from AT&T – [Archive]. Crunchyroll: Crunchyroll Now Joining Funimation Global Group – [Archive].
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