Sony just bought Crunchyroll for more than $1 billion

ByBen Hestad Hours
sony crunchyroll

Last Updated on: 9th August 2021, 09:41 pm

Well, it looks like Sony is extending its reach even further, as it has just been confirmed that the tech giant has now acquired the anime streaming service, Crunchyroll, from AT&T for a whopping $1.175 billion. This was announced in December 2020, but has been made official as of today.

Sony bought Crunchyroll

According to a press release, Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) has announced today that SPE has completed its acquisition of AT&T’s Crunchyroll anime business through Funimation Global Group, LLC. Funimation is a joint venture between SPE and Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc.’s subsidiary, Aniplex Inc. The agreement was first announced in December 2020.

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Crunchyroll is a premier anime direct-to-consumer service with 5 million SVOD subscribers and growing. It serves 120 million registered users across more than 200 countries and territories offering AVOD, mobile games, manga, events merchandise and distribution.

The deal provides the opportunity for Crunchyroll and Funimation to broaden distribution for their content partners and expand fan-centric offerings for consumers.

“We are very excited to welcome Crunchyroll to the Sony Group,” said Kenichiro Yoshida, Chairman, President and CEO, 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.”

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What does this mean?

So, what exactly does this mean for Crunchyroll fans? Well, Tony Vinciquerra, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc., says:

“Crunchyroll adds tremendous value to Sony’s existing anime businesses, including Funimation and our terrific partners at Aniplex and Sony Music Entertainment Japan. 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.”

Credit: Sony

So, it looks like Sony purchasing Crunchyroll will lead to a sort of one-stop shop for all of your anime needs.

What do you think about Sony buying Crunchyroll? Do you think that it will be an overall better experience, or do you think that this is a huge mistake? Let us know on Twitter!