Funimation and Crunchyroll Merger 2022: Everything You Need To Know
Sony's two anime platforms, Funimation and Crunchyroll, are coming together to form one big anime streaming service. Fans were given access to Funimation's library and simulcast content starting March 1. Sony has also announced that it will not raise prices on Crunchyroll's packages (for now). However, future new series will be exclusive to Crunchyroll starting April 1, with Funimation only adding new episodes of continuing series.
Sony's Funimation Global Group bought Crunchyroll for $1.175 billion in cash from AT&T in August 2021. The two platforms will now operate as a joint venture under Crunchyroll LLC. Sony also explained the decision to merge the two services saying it will create "a huge benefit for new and existing subscribers who will no longer have to pay for two services."
Speaking about the union, Crunchyroll CEO Colin Decker said in a statement, "When we brought Funimation and Crunchyroll together last year, our top priority was to put fans first. Unifying all of our brands and services under the Crunchyroll brand globally enables us to offer more value than ever before as we combine subs, dubs, simulcasts, library, music, movies, manga — all into one subscription."
Everything We Know About The Funimation and Crunchyroll Merger
Customers who used Funimation as their go-to anime site have been urged by the platform to cancel their subscription and get a Crunchyroll subscription instead. Crunchyroll Premium gives subscribers ad-free access to the complete library and several other benefits in three other tiers: Fan, Mega Fan, and Ultimate Fan. The pricing of the subscriptions plans remains the same at $7.99/month for the Fan tier, $9.99/month for Mega Fan, and $14.99/month for Ultimate Fan.
Crunchyroll released a list of the Funimation titles available now, with more to be added over time. The union of the two platforms brings more than 1,600 hours of content from Funimation, including blockbusters like My Hero Academia, JUJUTSU KAISEN, and more. Here's the list of titles that have made their way from Funimation to Crunchyroll. Other iconic series previously exclusive to Funimation, like Cowboy Bebop, and Yu Yu Hakusho, are now available on Crunchyroll.
According to Crunchyroll, 80 percent of Funimation and Wakanim's series will be on Crunchyroll by the end of March 2022. Furthermore, all upcoming series from the spring 2022 season will stream exclusively on Crunchyroll moving forward. Funimation will only continue to air new episodes of series that are already ongoing, like Attack on Titan.
Funimation, Wakanim, and VRV subscribers are reportedly getting a special deal offering 60 days of Crunchyroll Premium free! Read here to determine if you qualify for the 60-day free trial! By March 8, 2022, selected Funimation, Wakanim, and VRV subscribers will receive an email with their unique link to redeem.
While Crunchyroll and Funimation becoming one is a blessing for fans worldwide, the recent news has fans surprised. It has been speculated that Funimation is shutting down! Several Funimation subscribers have wondered about the platform's fate, considering it will now operate under the Crunchyroll name. Read here to know if Funimation will shut down or not.
Crunchyroll Premium gives users access to its extensive library and some more benefits. However, the merger has also left several fans confused over the fates of their Funimation accounts, with a premium subscription. Read here to find out if you can use your login credentials from Funimation on Crunchyroll.
Read Next: Funimation's Entire Anime Library Is Moving To Crunchyroll!