Sony has been trying to acquire Crunchy Roll for a little while now and it has finally gone through! But what does it mean going forward?
Sony’s Funimation and Crunchy Roll have both been part of an expanding Anime Industry in the west thanks to everyone staying at home during the pandemic. With that Sony picked up Crunchy Roll for a whopping $1.175B. You can view the official report from Sony here.
Sony Picks Up Crunchy Roll In Giant $1B+ Merge
First and foremost, the CEO of Sony Pictures, Tony Vinciquerra had this to say about the acquisition:
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.
As Vinciquerra stated, they also get access to all of the properties Crunchy roll had like games and merch, which was a huge aspect of Crunchy Roll’s draw! Not to mention Crunchy Roll often has huge events and sponsorships like the Anime Awards.
This is a huge deal, however, there are still lots of unknown factors on specifics. For example, when they merge into one subscription service, will they all use the same media players? Will Sony have to convert all of Crunchy Roll’s current library? and so on…
There is however a humongous positive and that is budget. As mentioned above it is also confirmed that they will merge into one subscription, making it much easier for all anime fans to have everything at their fingertips. Sony is also a massive company with a tremendous amount of funds, meaning Crunchy Roll might actually make it out with an expanding reach and library.
We will just have to wait and see how it all shakes up!
This news is awesome for Anime fans in the west, but have you subscribed to either service before? Do you like the sound of a more inclusive streaming service for anime?
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About the Author: Andrew Schrank
Andrew Schrank
Job Title: Miniatures & Warhammer Hobby Staff Writer
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About Andrew Schrank: Over the past 15 years, Andrew has played all the games, including tabletop and video games, and immersed himself in the associated lore. Andrew joined the Spikey Bits team in 2018 and covers the Warhammer hobby and tournament scene, along with the latest in tabletop miniatures, each week.
Aspiring diplomat, Lord of Fluff, and Master of Ice Hammer, He loves Star Wars, Chaos Undivided, and Gundam. During his free time, he hunts Platinum trophies on PS5 and reads international news. On weekends, Andrew plays commander and cEDH games, often with unique strategies that push the limits.
He believes each day presents a new opportunity to grow and be challenged.
