Funimation to Acquire Crunchyroll (Crunchyroll to swallow Funimation content)

[ps3bd_owner]

Does this mean I'll be able to watch DBZ on Crunchyroll?

[psychopuppet]

Originally Posted by bennyb98

I don't see this has been mentioned but if the Funimation app goes bye bye what happens to the digital copies that were included with BluRay purchases? Hopefully they don't all go away as well.

They said they are trying to work on a way to transfer them.

[InuYashaCrusade]

Originally Posted by ps3bd_owner

Does this mean I'll be able to watch DBZ on Crunchyroll?

I'm surprised it hasn't already been added. They said some of the most popular titles were being added last week. I know YYH was added.

[InuYashaCrusade]

Worth mentioning this here:

"Will the Funimation brand continue to be used for home video or other contexts?

A Funimation spokesman told ANN that although the Funimation service will continue with no current end date, home video will eventually move to the Crunchyroll brand internationally. This also applies to Funimation's Europe equivalent, Wakanim."

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/fea...merger/.183405

[gundamcero]

Looks like they will be addressing things like closed captions and improved steaming service over time so hope that is good news for some.

Layoffs will obviously happen but hope not to severe.

[BigOnAnime]

Absolutely disgusting. This industry continues to not value translators. Without them, you would be nothing.

It is our understanding that the pipeline for producing subtitle translations will also shift to Crunchyroll. Funimation subtitlers were known to be paid at higher rates than CR subtitlers, so will the rates for subtitle translation contractors reflect Crunchyroll's existing standards?

The CR spokesman claimed: "As the companies have come together, we're assessing translation editorial and production across both brands and in all languages and regions, and have established best practices for compensation that are aligned competitively. We don't discuss compensation specifics for our full-time staff or contractors."

A translator who worked on Funimation simulcast subtitles told ANN anonymously that they were informed two days before Christmas that they would no longer receive work from the company. The call came two months after their rates were raised while the translator was doing preproduction work on Winter 2022 simulcasts.

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/fea...merger/.183405

[BigOnAnime]

Something I'm now wondering, with the FUNimation brand being phased out in favor of Crunchyroll, what's going to happen to the hundreds of in-print releases? When they get reprinted, are they going to replace the FUNimation logo with the Crunchyroll one, or are they going to have to re-release everything, possibly under a new UPC prefix? All FUNimation releases start with 704400.

[neoz]

I would bet they change the logo to the CR one.

[Jhicksmedia]

It seems that Crunchyroll has started to release their home video titles on their own, but the downside is that they're releasing only five titles in June of this year.

[Member-571539]

https://variety.com/2022/digital/new...gy-1235207122/

Sony Fattens Up Crunchyroll’s Menu: Why Anime Is Its Biggest Streaming Bet

The conglomerate continues to invest in its digital strategy catering to anime superfans

Most major entertainment companies looking for the pole position in the global streaming road race have a go-big-or-go-home strategy — they’re building massive vehicles with broad, four-quadrant appeal.

Sony has taken a different tack. Its primary direct-to-consumer streaming video business is Crunchyroll, geared to the Japanese art forms of anime and manga. Instead of pouring tens of billions into content to vie against the likes of Netflix and Disney Plus, it is flooding the zone for a distinct and passionate fan subculture.

“The thesis is quite simple: We aspire to be everything to someone, not something to everyone,” says Colin Decker, CEO of Crunchyroll. “We’ve always been by and for anime fans and creators.”

Adds Decker, “Our business has more in common with fans of the NFL than users of Netflix.”

This month, Sony took a big step toward making its anime division an even larger global force: Starting March 1, Crunchyroll subscribers have access to library and simulcast content previously available exclusively on Funimation, which Sony Pictures Television bought in 2017.

The move brings more than 1,600 hours from more than 50 newly added titles in Funimation’s lineup to Crunchyroll, which Sony bought for $1.18 billion in cash from AT&T last year. At the same time, Sony says it won’t be raising prices on Crunchyroll’s packages.

That consolidates the company’s anime efforts around Crunchyroll, which now stocks more than 40,000 subtitled and dubbed episodes — the biggest bucket of anime available anywhere. Anime fans can watch favorites like “My Hero Academia,” “Tokyo Ghoul,” “Yu Yu Hakusho,” “Cowboy Bebop” and “Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation.” This week, Sony added three popular Dragon Ball anime series, formerly exclusive to Funimation — comprising more than 500 episodes — to the Crunchyroll lineup as well.

The 28-year-old Funimation brand is set to be phased out: Future new anime series will be exclusive to Crunchyroll starting April 1, and Funimation will continue to add new episodes of current series only. Sony is committed to building on Crunchyroll’s momentum. Today, Crunchyroll has more than 1,000 employees in 14 offices worldwide and is looking to hire more than 100 staffers.

But don’t call anime a “genre.” Where the Western entertainment sensibility thinks of it as a niche, Decker says, “the anime community thinks of it as a lifestyle — it’s a POV on the world. It’s much more than linear entertainment.”

As a form, anime encompasses numerous genres like horror, sci-fi, rom-coms and dramas, says Decker: “There’s an anime for everyone.” And the anime industry provides a steady and prolific output of high-quality material; Crunchyroll and Funimation have presented 20-30 simulcasts of new Japanese anime shows per quarter, according to Decker. “People enjoy kind of the infinite depth,” he says. “It’s like an achievement to get through these shows with hundreds of episodes.”

The core Crunchyroll business revolves around streaming video, but the brand also extends to mobile games, theatrical film releases, merchandise, live events (like the Crunchyroll Expo, set for Aug. 5-7 in San Jose) and DVDs.

“We certainly have hit shows and franchises — but really, the value proposition is belonging to a community,” Decker says.

Sony does own some other streaming businesses, including SonyLIV in India and Pure Flix, a Christian-content streaming service it acquired in 2020. And Sony Pictures continues exploit the streaming economy as a content wholesaler: Last year, for example, it cut a rich, multiyear movie-output pact with Netflix. But Crunchyroll is Sony’s main owned-and-operated field unit in the streaming wars.

If you want to call anime a niche, it’s one of the most successful niches in the world — attracting more fans than other interest-based entertainment services geared around, say, horror or faith-based programming. As of August, Crunchyroll had more than 5 million paying subscribers worldwide and 120 million registered users in 120-plus countries. Decker won’t say what those numbers are today, but it’s a good bet they’re higher now that Sony is steering Funimation users over to Crunchyroll.

Indeed, the Justice Department’s antitrust review of Sony’s purchase of Crunchyroll took more than six months. The concern was that the combined entity would harm competition. Decker insists that it’s a very competitive space. “It was a matter of helping them understand the dynamics of the market,” he says.

To be sure, streamers like Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max and Amazon’s Prime Video have sought to capitalize on anime’s popularity by adding a selection of content (some of it sublicensed from Crunchyroll or Funimation).

And AMC Networks is also hoping to cash in on anime, and expects to step up competition with Crunchyroll. In January, the cable programmer acquired Sentai, which operates the Hidive anime streaming service. “The anime audience has historically been underserved by linear TV,” says Miquel Penella, president of streaming services at AMC. Sentai’s business has historically been focused on content licensing, but going forward AMC’s primary goal is to expand the content and reach of Hidive.

A priority for AMC in developing Hidive and its other streaming services like Acorn TV, Allblk and Shudder is to remain authentic in the eyes of the target fanbase. “We don’t want to go to the broad market,” Penella says. “These are audiences with unique sensibilities.”

Anime is “an area Sony should dominate,” maintains Gen Fukunaga, founder of Funimation, who sold the company to Sony for $156 million. Fukunaga, who left Sony in 2019 after serving as Funimation’s chairman and is now a venture investor, notes that the company was smart to set up the anime division as a joint venture between Sony Pictures Entertainment and Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment Japan.

Crunchyroll may be outbid by major streamers for some of the hottest anime titles, he observes. Today, some of the bigger shows can have production costs that run $200,000-$300,000 per television half-hour, he says.

But “the big boys tend to be hit-focused,” he says. “If you’re a true anime fan, Crunchyroll is the only game in town.”

[alleyoop]

Originally Posted by gloomranger

https://variety.com/2022/digital/new...gy-1235207122/

I didn’t know AMC owned HIDIVE.

[Girls With Guns]

I could care less about all the hype about their streaming, I just want to be assured they will still release as much anime per month on Blu-ray as Funimation and Crunchyroll had done when they were still separate. The number of June releases from the combined company are not so very promising on that aspect, but for now I'll chalk up the low release count from them being busy with all the migration of content right now. That count had better jump up significantly in the upcoming few months, though.

[Waboman]

Originally Posted by Girls With Guns

I could care less about all the hype about their streaming, I just want to be assured they will still release as much anime per month on Blu-ray as Funimation and Crunchyroll had done when they were still separate. The number of June releases from the combined company are not so very promising on that aspect, but for now I'll chalk up the low release count from them being busy with all the migration of content right now. That count had better jump up significantly in the upcoming few months, though.

Blu-ray? Physical media? What is this? 2015? Madness! Stream, baby. Stream!

[neoz]

Indeed, the Justice Department’s antitrust review of Sony’s purchase of Crunchyroll took more than six months. The concern was that the combined entity would harm competition. Decker insists that it’s a very competitive space. “It was a matter of helping them understand the dynamics of the market,” he says.

LOL ok....I bet you no one on the committee that approved the merger even knows about who and which distribution companies are remaining in the US.

[themp3000]

Originally Posted by neoz

LOL ok....I bet you no one on the committee that approved the merger even knows about who and which distribution companies are remaining in the US.

“… streamers like Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max and Amazon’s Prime Video…”
“… And AMC Networks …”

Plenty of streaming distributors and competition. I don’t see why it wouldn’t have been approved. It was always going to happen. And Mr. Decker even mentions that streaming is the core of the business.

“The core Crunchyroll business revolves around streaming video…”

Home video would be a tough argument to make because there hasn’t been significant competition to begin with there. It’s been a done deal on that front for years. Sentai couldn't even exceed or match Funi’s monthly output. Still can’t but that’ll probably change or become a more level playing field.

[InuYashaCrusade]

Originally Posted by themp3000

“… streamers like Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max and Amazon’s Prime Video…”
“… And AMC Networks …”

Plenty of streaming distributors and competition. I don’t see why it wouldn’t have been approved. It was always going to happen. And Mr. Decker even mentions that streaming is the core of the business.

“The core Crunchyroll business revolves around streaming video…”

Home video would be a tough argument to make because there hasn’t been significant competition to begin with there. It’s been a done deal on that front for years. Sentai couldn't even exceed or match Funi’s monthly output. Still can’t but that’ll probably change or become a more level playing field.

I think there is very little concern about the physical side of things. That seems to be something a lot of users here don't understand. It is a physical media collecting forum and all but sometimes you've gotta be realistic. Streaming is where it's at now for these companies. It's where things have been for years and where they will continue to head.

[themp3000]

Originally Posted by InuYashaCrusade

I think there is very little concern about the physical side of things. That seems to be something a lot of users here don't understand. It is a physical media collecting forum and all but sometimes you've gotta be realistic. Streaming is where it's at now for these companies. It's where things have been for years and where they will continue to head.

I’ve long made my peace with the way things have been and are going when it comes to physical media. I didn’t want to but I had to. Things will always change, that’s the constant in life. Just gotta make peace with it and go with the flow. You can look at the glass as half full or half empty, I choose the former here because some things you just can’t control. Anyways, back to vibing.

[Girls With Guns]

Streaming can go suck my limp ***k. To hell if I'm gonna "go with the flow" - once physical anime releases cease being made, I'm outta here cold turkey - I'll just find myself yet another new hobby. I usually switch hobbies about every 5 years anyway, and I've been collecting anime on Blu-ray since March 2013, or nine years now, so I'm way over due. I guess that's why I felt like throwing almost $4K into my new anime poster collecting hobby, just since January. Besides, I already have enough unwatched anime on physical media to last me way longer than the years I have left to live...

[gundamcero]

Yeah if physical anime goes away I do too. Most of the fun I have is collecting anime media. I stream but mostly it is cause I knew eventually I will be able to buy the series on blu-ray. Netflix is already running it for me. Knowing I can never own a certain series ruins the whole experience.

[Chie Satonaka]

I cancelled my Funimation subscription and will not be signing up for Crunchyroll. I'll buy physical release for shows/movies that interest me like Dragonball, Demon Slayer, My Hero etc. But **** their lesser service at a higher price. I already have Netflix and that looks to be the only place I'll be streaming anime.