Crunchyroll announced today that Sony’s Funimation Global Group has officially acquired Crunchyroll pending regulatory approvals and closing.
Previously, Funimation and Crunchyroll had a contract where they shared programs between both services; however, when Sony purchased Funimation, the contract was terminated and both services went back to airing exclusive content. With the announcement of that purchase, the possibility for that scenario could very well return.
“We are excited to embark on this new journey. Crunchyroll has built a world-class brand with a passionate fan-base of over 3M subscribers, 50M social followers and 90M registered users. These amazing fans have helped to propel anime into a global phenomenon,” said Joanne Waage, general manager of Crunchyroll. “Combining the strength of the Crunchyroll brand and the expertise of our global team with Funimation is an exciting prospect and a win for the incredible art form of anime.”
Until the deal is finalized, Crunchyroll and Funimation will continue to be operated independently. While details about the purchase are being withheld until all of the legalities can clear, it was stated that the information will be made public when all things are settled.
Source: Crunchyroll
