FUNIMATION Ends Licensing Partnership With CRUNCHYROLL
Sony's anime distributing network, Funimation, has finalized its licensing partnership with Crunchyroll. Here are the details on the partnership and why it has ended.
Two anime distributing giants, Funimation and Crunchyroll, have been working together for two years, sharing anime series with users in both platforms. However, Funimation has ended this collaboration due to Sony's need or desire to expand the company and make it "a global subtitled and dub anime brand". Gen Fukunaga said that the deal with Crunchyroll "ended amicably this month".
Crunchyroll users will still have access to their library but select titles that were licensed via Funimation will be taken out, Funimation will also have some titles removed. There are no specifics on which series will be leaving their platform but Crunchyroll confirms favorites like Attack on Titan and My Hero Academia are not phased by this, they are still available.
In Funimation's side, their library will get bigger with the addition of several hundred subbed series. Some series that will be availbe in sub are: My Hero Academia, Cowboy Bebop, Space Dandy, Yu Yu Hakusho, Assassination Classroom, Snow White with the Red Hair and Death Parade.
November 9 is the official date of the partnership's end, Funimation will not be on VRV anymore. However, all the titles that were licensed during this partnership will not be affected. Both companies want fans to know they are doing their best to keep delivering great content.