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.
We have some news to share about our partnership with Crunchyroll. ? @Variety https://t.co/LpsAmjwNGa Subs and dubs are coming back to #FunimationNow! Stream to your ?s content. #YouShouldBeWatching
— Funimation ?? (@FUNimation) October 18, 2018
It was! There’s no hard feelings. ? We’ll continue to partner on co-licensed subbed & dubbed shows!
— Funimation ?? (@FUNimation) October 18, 2018
Most fans were not happy with the announcement:
it was so much better with the partnership; crunchyroll for subs and funimation for dubs. It was easy to understand and very easy to find what you wanted to watch on VRV T-T crunchyroll and funimation was such a good partnership i hope you’ll go back to it ;-;
— Sora!! (@PiplupGoku) October 18, 2018
This is terrible. This spits in the face of your fanbase and is being presented in a way that says "good news everyone, everything is about to get terrible for all of you"
— Luppy Luptonium (@Luptonium) October 18, 2018
Put your content back on VRV. I don't need dozens of apps to stream all of the content I subscribe to. This isn't why I signed up.
— Gregory Walsh (@Spindash54) October 18, 2018
I love you @FUNimation but you have betrayed me and disappointed me pic.twitter.com/9qAa7Jtgw3
— Guh (@HilariousEnigma) October 18, 2018
Dissapointed. pic.twitter.com/DYtwl1eLdc
— Panic (@Jimi76134080) October 18, 2018
What do you make of this news? Do you think this is a good move or a bad one?
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