Funimation to Acquire Crunchyroll (Crunchyroll to swallow Funimation content)

[InuYashaCrusade]

I'm not surprised. It was only a matter of time before everything was locked behind a paywall.

[thelonepig]

I don't understand how this could be a surprise. Most other streaming services don't have a free option - in fact many have a discounted-but-still-pay ad-based model.

Ad revenue alone is not enough to keep a streaming service running.

[MasterAS]

Originally Posted by InuYashaCrusade

I'm not surprised. It was only a matter of time before everything was locked behind a paywall.

So basically like every other streaming site

[BigOnAnime]

Originally Posted by thelonepig

I don't understand how this could be a surprise. Most other streaming services don't have an ad-free option - in fact many have a discounted-but-still-pay ad-based model.

Ad revenue alone is not enough to keep a streaming service running.

Crunchyroll had the free with ads option for around 14 years though. Tubi TV also still is free with ads as well as RetroCrush. Hulu was also free with ads until 2016. Anime streaming has had free with ads options for about as long as legal anime streaming has existed. It's one reason why the industry got to where it is now as the demographic that watches anime skews a bit younger. I got into this stuff almost 14 years ago when I was 14 years old and in the 8th grade. Legal anime streaming was just beginning to become more prevalent in this time period, and everything had a free with ads option. It wasn't until I turned 18 in 2012 and finally got my part-time job I was able to get a subscription for Crunchyroll and then for FUNimation (they didn't have a subscription service until 2011, they were free with ads only from 2008-2011).

Only reason Crunchyroll is able to do this is because of the market power they now have because the FTC failed to do its job. Their only real competitor at this point is Sentai Filmworks which runs HIDIVE.

[Chie Satonaka]

Not to mention Pluto, which Paramount owns specifically to be their free, ad supported option. Free to view with ad support is a valid model.

[Girls With Guns]

Suck it up, children. Go get yourself a part time job after school and weekends, like I did - I started my first part-time job when I was 14, and worked multiple jobs all through high school.

[Chie Satonaka]

I have a job and could easily afford a Crunchyroll sub, just like I used to subscribe to Funimation before they knifed it in the back earlier this year. Crunchyroll sucks and I won't pay more for a lesser service. I'm also not owed to subscribe to them just because I'm an anime fan, their arrogance offends me, and for that the rate just went up 10 percent.

[GeoffOliver]

Originally Posted by BigOnAnime

Crunchyroll had the free with ads option for around 14 years though. Tubi TV also still is free with ads as well as RetroCrush. Hulu was also free with ads until 2016. Anime streaming has had free with ads options for about as long as legal anime streaming has existed. It's one reason why the industry got to where it is now as the demographic that watches anime skews a bit younger. I got into this stuff almost 14 years ago when I was 14 years old and in the 8th grade. Legal anime streaming was just beginning to become more prevalent in this time period, and everything had a free with ads option. It wasn't until I turned 18 in 2012 and finally got my part-time job I was able to get a subscription for Crunchyroll and then for FUNimation (they didn't have a subscription service until 2011, they were free with ads only from 2008-2011).

Only reason Crunchyroll is able to do this is because of the market power they now have because the FTC failed to do its job. Their only real competitor at this point is Sentai Filmworks which runs HIDIVE.

Oh my god, I miss the days around 2009-2010 when FUNimation dumped almost their entire catalog on Hulu, their website, and YouTube subtitled, along with the first 2-4 episodes, or the entire series in rare cases, of each show dubbed. I remember streaming all of Slayers Season 1 dubbed on Hulu around that time and it became one of my most cherished shows. I also remember legally streaming One Piece on their website, and my school's firewall didn't even block it. Definitely too good to last.

I will point out that Nozomi still has several complete shows available on YouTube with ads for free viewing (Utena, His & Her Circumstances, Lost Universe).

[BigOnAnime]

Originally Posted by Girls With Guns

Suck it up, children. Go get yourself a part time job after school and weekends, like I did - I started my first part-time job when I was 14, and worked multiple jobs all through high school.

And for those younger than 14? Also, you have to be at least 16 years old to drive. If your parents won't drive you around, it won't work.

[thelonepig]

Originally Posted by Chie Satonaka

Not to mention Pluto, which Paramount owns specifically to be their free, ad supported option. Free to view with ad support is a valid model.

Which is exactly why Hulu went away from it and the pay-to-watch platforms are increasing their subscription costs. For older, less expensive franchises some form of ad support may work, though I would guess these are subsidized through other sources.

The further the industry moves from physical media the more production costs will be distributed directly into streaming subscription costs.

[Girls With Guns]

Originally Posted by BigOnAnime

And for those younger than 14? Also, you have to be at least 16 years old to drive. If your parents won't drive you around, it won't work.

I rode my bicycle to work all the way through college. I didn't get my first car until I was 22. Most anime isn't fit for kids under 14 anyway, so they should just be happy with pikachu and beyblades on Saturday morning cartoons, lol.

[veritas]

Originally Posted by Girls With Guns

I rode my bicycle to work all the way through college. I didn't get my first car until I was 22. Most anime isn't fit for kids under 14 anyway, so they should just be happy with pikachu and beyblades on Saturday morning cartoons, lol.

At what age did you get a credit card? Because you know most of these subscriptions services want a card on file.

[The Collector FX]

Originally Posted by veritas

At what age did you get a credit card? Because you know most of these subscriptions services want a card on file.

Debit or Credit card? I got my first Debit (Bank) card when I was 17 but I didn't get my first Credit (as in credit building) card until I was 27.

[InuYashaCrusade]

Originally Posted by veritas

At what age did you get a credit card? Because you know most of these subscriptions services want a card on file.

Why not a debit card? I've had one of those since I was like 15

[BigOnAnime]

I got my debit card when I was 18. I still don't have a credit card at 28. BTW, not every job is a simple bike ride away, mine aren't. Cars are essentially 100% mandatory in 99% of places in the United States.

It's going to be interesting to see what this decision will do for subscriber growth. When those unable to pay see stuff paywalled, they'll go the pirates, and it'll be difficult to get them back even after they get the income to pay for stuff. Anime is stupidly easy to pirate, it's only a Google search away (literally just the name of a series alone is enough to get pirate sites on the first page, sometimes above non-pirate pages), though the illegal streaming sites are riddled with ransomware, malware, and have adblock blockers.

[Jackson_H]

I don't know about all the fine print and restrictions for customers under 18 but where I live a lot of pre-paid credit cards can be bought at supermarkets and dollar stores.

Nothing stopping parents buying some and gifting them to their kid(s)

[Bobo1313]

Originally Posted by BigOnAnime

I got my debit card when I was 18. I still don't have a credit card at 28. BTW, not every job is a simple bike ride away, mine aren't. Cars are essentially 100% mandatory in 99% of places in the United States.

There's always public transportation. My first job required me to take septa to go downtown, the things I've seen during that transit.

My dad giving me his old beat up car, years later, was the best present I've ever received.

Originally Posted by BigOnAnime

It's going to be interesting to see what this decision will do for subscriber growth. When those unable to pay see stuff paywalled, they'll go the pirates, and it'll be difficult to get them back even after they get the income to pay for stuff. Anime is stupidly easy to pirate, it's only a Google search away (literally just the name of a series alone is enough to get pirate sites on the first page, sometimes above non-pirate pages), though the illegal streaming sites are riddled with ransomware, malware, and have adblock blockers.

I firmly believe Sony will ruin crunchyroll and anime in general. They are a terrible company with absolutely no creativity left to speak of, they can't even make a worthwhile video game system anymore. Their Disney method of buying successful brands because they can no longer make any will bite them in the butt eventually.

[One-Eye]

Originally Posted by Bobo1313

There's always public transportation. My first job required me to take septa to go downtown, the things I've seen during that transit.

My dad giving me have his old beat up car, years later, was the best present I've ever received.

Unfortunately, public transportation is not always available. Growing up in a semi-rural area that was not an option when I was a kid. It wasn't till I was 16 that I got my uncle's old pontiac clunker that I could drive places like to work and that part time work went to car insurance and gas. At least there is debit gift cards nowadays as a viable option, when I was growing up a debit card was Amex

Everything is moving to a subscription or rental type model. Software, hardware, entertainment and companies want to tell us what a great deal it is for subscribers but pretty much all I've seen is total cost go up.

[BigOnAnime]

Originally Posted by Bobo1313

I firmly believe Sony will ruin crunchyroll and anime in general. They are a terrible company with absolutely no creativity left to speak of, they can't even make a worthwhile video game system anymore. Their Disney method of buying successful brands because they can no longer make any will bite them in the butt eventually.

What? You don't want this big ugly hulking mass of a console that looks like an internet router and makes its competitors, the Xbox Series look tiny? I swear the PS5 design is like a metaphor for both Sony's and Jim Ryan's egos. The PS5 slim is desperately needed. Have I ever told you how much I absolutely despise Jim Ryan?

Me ranting about the design of a console aside, it is indeed possible they'll ruin things. Sony as a company has for a while been struggling outside of the PlayStation division, they're way too reliant on that division's profits. This article is 6 years old, but 78% of your profits coming from just one division when you're a conglomerate the size of Sony is bad.
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/so.../1100-6442233/

I'll also note, Sony once backed away from the idea of buying Crunchyroll because they believed Crackle was the bigger platform. Uh, what? If people like that are still in charge, oof.

[Show spoiler]

[Batman1980]

Yeah I'm not paying $9.99 a month for FUNimation, I'm switching sometime this week.