Colin Decker, who became CEO of anime streamer Crunchyroll following its merger with Funimation last month, is exiting the company. Decker, who previously headed up Funimation, leaves the role after more than three years at Sony, which acquired Funimation in 2017. He will be succeeded by Rahul Purini, the current COO of Crunchyroll, who also […]
Sony Pictures Entertainment has announced that it is folding anime streamer Funimation into Crunchyroll. Sony acquired Crunchyroll from AT&T in August 2021 in a deal valued at US$1.175 billion. The announcement delivers on Sony’s promise to merge the two anime SVODs into one single subscription, with the company saying that pricing will remain unchanged. In addition […]
Sony’s Funimation group has completed its $1.175bn acquisition of AT&T’s global anime streaming service Crunchyroll, bringing the two competing services under the same roof. The agreement was first announced in December 2020 and had been awaiting regulatory approval. The deal includes streaming rights to more than 1,000 anime titles and while the two companies will […]
TBI deputy editor Mark Layton digs into what is driving rising global demand for anime and how streamers can make the most of the medium’s passionate fanbase. Global demand for Japanese anime content is skyrocketing, with streamers worldwide increasingly recognising the appeal – and subscription-driving potential – of this medium, once seen as niche, but […]
Sony-owned anime streamer Funimation has further expanded into Latin America, launching in Colombia, Chile and Peru yesterday. Arriving with a web-only preview, the full SVOD service will roll out next month on various apps, smart TV platforms and gaming consoles, including Android, iOS, Roku, PlayStation and Xbox. The new launches follow Funimation’s arrival in Mexico […]
London-based anime distributor Manga Entertainment is to rebrand as Funimation in the UK and Ireland next week, two years after its acquisition by the global Sony-owned service. Founded in 1991 and acquired by Funimation in April 2019, Manga has been a leading producer, licensee, and distributor of anime in the territory for more than 30 […]
Sony Pictures Television-owned global anime streamer Funimation is launching its first-ever Chinese animation on the platform, following a deal with Shanghai-based streaming giant Bilibili to bring the series Heaven Official’s Blessing to global audiences. Launching today on Funimation platforms in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, the 11-part series will also become available […]
Sony Pictures Television’s anime subsidiary Funimation has acquired UK anime distributor Manga Entertainment. Manga is already a long-term partner of Funimation and currently distributes anime across Blu-ray/DVDs, broadcast, theatrical and digital. Many of Manga’s titles will now become available for streaming in the UK and Ireland on anime streaming platform FunimationNow. The titles will include […]
Sony Pictures Television Networks has reached an agreement to acquire a “substantial” majority stake in Funimation Productions, in a deal that values the Japanese anime distributor at around US$150 million. Funimation, which sells Japanese content in the US, has a catalogue of toons that includes Dragon Ball Z, Cowboy Bebop and One Piece, and operates […]
