Funimation Ends Licensing Deal with Crunchyroll

Sony’s Funimation has ended its cross-licensing deal with Crunchyroll after two years. The deal “ended amicably this month.” However, it’s official end date is November 9, 2018. Funimation’s channel will also be removed from VRV.

The two companies recently were acquired by competing media companies. Sony acquired Funimation last year and Crunchyroll recently came under AT&T’s banner when it acquired Otter Media. VRV falls under Otter Media’s Ellation. Sony bought a 95% majority stake in Funimation for $143 million.

Funimation president and CEO Gen Fukunaga announced in an internal memo acquired by Variety:

“Effective immediately, Funimation will once again independently acquire, market and distribute anime to the entire community – to both sub and dub fans. This new future is a result of our acquisition by Sony Pictures Television and additional investments Sony is making in our business to make Funimation a global sub and dub anime brand. As such, we’ve made the decision not to renew our collaboration with Crunchyroll, a relationship that ended amicably this month.”

Sony has big plans for Funimation and looks to make it a global brand. Funimation president and CEO Gen Fukunaga described he wants to make Funimation a “global sub[titled] and dub anime brand.” And he appears to already be making good on that goal as Funimation Film recently released Toho Co. Ltd.’s My Hero Academia: Two Heroes to theaters. The film made $5.7 million in its limited release between September 25 and October 11. The film became Funimation’s second highest grossing film.

With the end of the agreement FunimationNow subscribers will get access to hundreds of more subbed anime titles. However, they will lose “a handful” of dubbed titles. However, all licensed titles made during the partnership will be still be shared with Crunchyroll and be available on FunimationNow.

The subbed titles that will now be available on FunimationNow include My Hero Academia, Cowboy Bebop, Space Dandy, Yu Yu Hakusho, Assassination Classroom, Snow White with the Red Hair, and Death Parade.

These titles will join other top Funimation titles including Dragon Ball Z, One Piece, Attack on Titan, Shin Godzilla, and Your Name.

Funimation informed their fans over Twitter and also clarified they will continue to work with Crunchyroll on co-licensed properties.

Most fans were not happy with the announcement:

What do you make of this news? Do you think this is a good move or a bad one?

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