In an announcement from Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. earlier today, the company confirmed that they had completed its acquisition of the CrunchyRoll anime business from AT&T. This was completed through the Funimation Global Group (Also known by many as Funimation Entertainment), a joint venture between SPE and Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc.’s subsidiary, Aniplex Inc. This announcement follows a more than six-month process, following the plans being first unveiled to the public in December 2020.
Exactly how this deal will look one week, one month, or one year from now isn’t entirely clear, as on the front-end, things appear to be business as usual in the immediate present. Therefore, maybe don’t cancel one of your subscriptions just yet. According to the Funimation Blog:
For now it is anime-as-usual on both services, and the second we have an update you will be the first to know.
In a statement by Tony Vinciquerra, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc., it becomes clear that they are aiming for a “unified anime subscription experience” in the near future.
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.
Tony Vinciquerra | Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.
According to a media release on this acquisition, the purchase price for the transaction was $1.175 billion USD.
Will this be a positive for the international anime market regarding both availability and financial cost of accessing a (somewhat) all-inclusive platform for Japanese anime, or will the wealth of anime licensed or commissioned by CrunchyRoll be decreased with a new company at the helm? Time will tell!
