The deal is happening. After AT&T and Sony have been in talks for months. Back in August, AT&T wanted $1.5 billion for the anime service. While the company didn’t get the exact number they wanted, Sony buys Crunchyroll for $1.175 billion. Having already acquired Funimation, Sony is building their anime service further. It’s a great buy for Sony. Crunchyroll has over 3 million subscribers and serving over 90 million users globally, through other products such as mobile games and merchandise.
Tony Vinciquerra, chairman and chief executive officer of Sony Pictures Entertainment had the following to say about acquiring the streaming service:
We are proud to bring Crunchyroll into the Sony family. Through Funimation and our terrific partners at Aniplex and Sony Music Entertainment Japan, we have a deep understanding of this global artform and are well-positioned to deliver outstanding content to audiences around the world. Together with Crunchyroll, we will create the best possible experience for fans and greater opportunity for creators, producers and publishers in Japan and elsewhere. Funimation has been doing this for over 25 years and we look forward to continuing to leverage the power of creativity and technology to succeed in this rapidly growing segment of entertainment.
Tony Goncalves, Chief Revenue Officer, WarnerMedia had the following to say regards about the Crunchyroll brand.
The Crunchyroll team has done an extraordinary job of not only growing the Crunchyroll brand but also building a passionate community of anime fans. Crunchyroll’s success is a direct result of the company’s culture and commitment to their fans. By combining with Funimation, they will continue to nurture a global community and bring more anime to more people. I’m incredibly proud of the Crunchyroll team and what they have been able to accomplish in the digital media space in such a short period of time. They’ve created an end-to-end global ecosystem for this incredible art form.
The deal should be completed soon but no timeline given. Currently, Crunchyroll has around 550 employes. In the US alone, 250 and 200 in Europe. With the purchase, how will services work with Funimation’s streaming product and Crunchyroll’s? How will this affect the current employees at Crunchyroll?
AT&T who has their hand in the HBO Max streaming service, don’t be shocked to see some anime shows removed on their streaming service. The company has sold many assets in years pass and you can chalk this up another way for the big company to make a profit. Perhaps the company thinks anime is fad or it’ll loses its value soon? The way how things are going for anime and streaming services, doesn’t seem likely.
Source: Sony Pictures, Bloomberg
