Things have been very busy for Crunchyroll lately. From Sony buying Crunchyroll to Funimation merging with the site and Sentai titled anime leaving, Crunchyroll is making big changes for the future. With winter being over and we’re making the transition to spring, Crunchyroll is going to make money for this season and possibly the future with this marketing technique. It has been announced that Crunchyroll will no longer provide ad-free streaming for anime in the spring season 2022 lineup along with other continuing anime. Anime fans will have to sign up for premium monthly or annual subscription. Already published anime won’t be affected, but new such as Spring 2022, Fall 2022, etc will have viewers require a paid subscription.
If you want to be in loop and watch all your brand new anime, you better pull out a giftcard or credit card. No more ads for the new titles.
source:
Matt-in-the-Hat 
I’ve already ranted about this on Lesley’s Anime and Manga blog, but this is not going to end well for the fans. There have been so many people I have converted over to anime by tempting them with Crunchyroll’s free service it’s crazy! Now, if I’m trying to convince someone to try anime and they hear that they will have to sign up for a paid subscription it will be an instant “No” from them and I won’t be able to argue with that. If I was just starting out and wanted to just try anime, I wouldn’t pay for a whole subscription! This is going to clear out all the new anime fans and any of the on the fence anime fans too. I know I sound very doom and gloom, and this won’t actually effect me because I already have a subscription to Crunchyroll, but I’ve been an advocate for encouraging people to try anime for years and I am just having a hard time finding the positive light in this.
Yeah I agree with you. I am not liking the idea of having to pay to watch anime like this. I never did sign up for a subscription to CR. The fact that they are going to start doing this makes me not want to sign up. I do still want to support anime, but I also don’t want to hurt my bank account.
IKR! Granted CR isn’t that expensive, but “not that expensive” isn’t the same as free. Having a free service opens access to anime for a lot more people.
Yeah, personally, I don’t mind the ads and I would rather not have to pay extra just to watch a few anime. In my defense, I am already paying for other subscriptions. Hopefully, Sony might reconsider this strategy and go back to the old plan.
Yes, I’m hoping they change their mind soon.
Me too. I would like to watch the anime without having to pay for a subscription and without resorting to pirating.
Though I think a piratey eye-patch would totally work for your avatar!
Haha just get me a parrot and I’ll sail to far seas. I am going on an adventure!