Remember in 2016, Funimation and Crunchyroll teamed up together? Back then, some Crunchyroll anime got English Dub and then anime owned by the companies could be streamed at both sites. Unfortunately in 2018, the partnership ended and these two went their ways. Now in 2020, these two companies are back in a one big monopoly technique.
According to sources, AT&T and WarnerMedia agreed to sell the anime streaming service to Sony and Funimation. Sony and Funimation has purchased Crunchyroll for roughly $1.75 billion USD. Here is an official statement from Tony Gonclaves, CRO of WarnerMedia:
“The Crunchyroll team has done an extraordinary job of not only growing the Crunchyroll brand but also building a passionate community of anime fans. Crunchyroll’s success is a direct result of the company’s culture and commitment to their fans.
By combining with Funimation, they will continue to nurture a global community and bring more anime to more people. I’m incredibly proud of the Crunchyroll team and what they have been able to accomplish in the digital media space in such a short period of time. They’ve created an end-to-end global ecosystem for this incredible art form.”
To add to this statement, Tony Vinciquerra,the Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment had this to day:
“We are proud to bring Crunchyroll into the Sony family. “Through Funimation and our terrific partners at Aniplex and Sony Music Entertainment Japan, we have a deep understanding of this global artform and are well-positioned to deliver outstanding content to audiences around the world. Together with Crunchyroll, we will create the best possible experience for fans and greater opportunity for creators, producers and publishers in Japan and elsewhere. Funimation has been doing this for over 25 years and we look forward to continuing to leverage the power of creativity and technology to succeed in this rapidly growing segment of entertainment.”
How do you feel about this news? Sony purchased Funimation in 2017 and now these two are together and have Crunchyroll among them.
sources:
Matt-in-the-Hat 