Crunchyroll, Inc.

Crunchyroll

Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Streaming media
Founded	2006
Founder	Kun Gao, James Lin, Brandon Ooi, Vu Nguyen
Headquarters	San Francisco, California , United States
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Markus Gerdemann (Senior Vice President)
Products	Anime and East Asian entertainment streaming service
Owner	Sony Group Corporation
Parent	Sony Group Corporation

Crunchyroll is a U.S.-based subscription video-on-demand OTT streaming platform owned by Sony Group Corporation. Its main office is located in San Francisco, California, with an additional branch in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. The service primarily focuses on distributing East Asian entertainment, especially Japanese anime.

Established in 2006 by University of California, Berkeley alumni Kun Gao, James Lin, Brandon Ooi, and Vu Nguyen, Crunchyroll boasts a global user base exceeding 120 million registered accounts. Formerly operating as a subsidiary under Otter Media, which was part of AT&T's WarnerMedia, Crunchyroll collaborated with Funimation from 2016 until 2018. Sony acquired Funimation in 2017 and subsequently purchased Crunchyroll from AT&T in 2021, consolidating both services under Sony's umbrella by 2022.

As a participant in The Association of Japanese Animations (AJA), the brand has been represented since 2013 by its mascot "Crunchyroll-Hime".<ref>

The platform provides access to more than 1,000 anime series and upwards of 200 East Asian drama titles across over 18 languages. It formerly offered about 80 manga series through Crunchyroll Manga. Content availability varies due to licensing restrictions depending on the region. The service reached over one million paying subscribers by February 2017 and has expanded to more than 15 million paid subscribers as of 2024.

Early days and unofficial content distribution

Crunchyroll began in 2006 as an unauthorized streaming site focusing on East Asian media, featuring fan-subtitled episodes. In 2008, it raised $4.05 million in funding from Venrock despite facing criticism from licensors such as Bandai Entertainment and Funimation for hosting unlicensed material.

Transition to licensed content distribution

The company transitioned towards legal streaming by securing licensing deals with firms like Gonzo. In January 2009, after partnering with TV Tokyo to stream Naruto Shippuden, Crunchyroll pledged to remove infringing content and exclusively provide officially licensed shows.

In 2010, Crunchyroll obtained North American DVD distribution rights for 5 Centimeters Per Second, marking its initial licensed DVD release. By October 2013, the company expanded into digital manga with Crunchyroll Manga through a collaboration with Kodansha, offering titles such as Attack on Titan and Fairy Tail.

Ownership under The Chernin Group and Ellation creation

On December 2, 2013, The Chernin Group, led by former News Corp president Peter Chernin, acquired a controlling stake in Crunchyroll for roughly $100 million. Significant shares remained with Crunchyroll’s management team and investor TV Tokyo.

On April 22, 2014, AT&T and The Chernin Group formed Otter Media, a joint venture investing over $500 million to acquire and develop OTT video platforms. Otter Media became the majority owner of Crunchyroll. In August 2015, Otter Media introduced Ellation as the parent brand for its subscription-based video services, including Crunchyroll and VRV—a streaming service targeting niche markets like gamers and fantasy enthusiasts.

By October 2015, Crunchyroll had reached 700,000 paying subscribers and entered a partnership with Sumitomo Corporation to co-produce anime content, broadening its influence and expanding its library.

In April 2016, Crunchyroll joined forces with Kadokawa Corporation through a strategic alliance granting exclusive worldwide digital distribution rights (excluding Asia) for Kadokawa’s anime catalog. This agreement also enabled Crunchyroll to co-finance upcoming productions, strengthening its focus on content investment and international growth.

Collaboration with Funimation and expansion into home video

On July 1, 2016, Crunchyroll revealed intentions to dub various series and distribute them on home video formats. Subsequently, on September 8, 2016, it entered a strategic alliance with Funimation in which Crunchyroll would offer streaming access to select Funimation titles, while Funimation would reciprocate by streaming certain Crunchyroll shows along with dubbed versions. Additionally, Funimation took on the role of distributing Crunchyroll’s home video library.

By February 9, 2017, Crunchyroll celebrated surpassing one million paid subscribers, marking a notable achievement in its commercial expansion. Leadership adjustments occurred in March 2017 when Kun Gao replaced Vincent Shortino as the representative director for Crunchyroll’s Japanese division, reflecting shifts aligned with its international growth. In the same month, the company broadened its distribution channels by making anime available via the Steam platform.

On July 18, 2017, Crunchyroll collaborated with Twitch to stream nineteen complete seasons of popular anime series, bolstering its influence within digital streaming markets. However, on November 4, 2017, the company encountered a cybersecurity incident when hackers compromised its official website for nearly six hours, redirecting visitors to a ransomware page; Crunchyroll swiftly reported the attack to authorities.

Ownership under AT&T/WarnerMedia and original content development

In January 2018, Otter Media acquired the remaining 20% stake in Crunchyroll previously held by TV Tokyo and other investors. By August of that year, AT&T finalized its purchase of Otter Media from The Chernin Group, incorporating Crunchyroll into WarnerMedia (formerly known as Time Warner). That same month marked Crunchyroll’s foray into original programming with the release of the anime-inspired series High Guardian Spice, produced by Ellation Studios. Following Sony Pictures Television’s acquisition of Funimation, the collaboration between Funimation and Crunchyroll concluded in October 2018.

In March 2019, Otter Media underwent restructuring under Warner Bros., situating Crunchyroll alongside cable networks such as Cartoon Network and its anime block Adult Swim’s Toonami segment. By May 2019, Crunchyroll was repositioned under WarnerMedia Entertainment to coincide with the launch of the streaming platform HBO Max, managed by Otter Media COO Tony Goncalves.

To strengthen its market footprint, Crunchyroll pursued strategic alliances: in July 2019, it partnered with Viz Media to handle home video and electronic sell-through distribution across North America and collaborated with Australian studio Glitch Productions on the YouTube original series Meta Runner. In September 2019, Crunchyroll became the principal investor in Viz Media Europe, solidifying this status by December when former Viz Media Europe president John Easum was appointed as head. This subsidiary was rebranded as Crunchyroll EMEA, integrating previous Viz brands under its umbrella.

In October 2019, expanding its content portfolio further, Crunchyroll partnered with Naver Corporation’s webtoon platform WEBTOON to develop animated adaptations. The launch of "Crunchyroll Originals" followed in February 2020 with titles including Tower of God, The God of High School, and Noblesse.

Enhancing distribution capabilities even more, in September 2020 Crunchyroll teamed up with Sentai Filmworks for home video and electronic sell-through releases featuring titles such as Granbelm, Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma: The Fourth Plate, Ascendance of a Bookworm, and World Trigger.

Sony ownership

On August 12, 2020, Sony Pictures Entertainment, the parent company of Funimation, initiated discussions to acquire Crunchyroll from WarnerMedia for an estimated , later adjusted to . By October of the same year, Sony was reportedly in the final stages of negotiating a purchase exceeding $950 million. On December 9, 2020, Sony and Funimation publicly declared an agreement to acquire Crunchyroll for around , aiming to consolidate worldwide anime distribution rights outside of East Asia. The U.S. Department of Justice extended its antitrust investigation in March 2021.

Sony finalized the acquisition on August 9, 2021, with the goal of merging its anime subscription platforms. The deal also encompassed VRV. In September 2021, Crunchyroll formed a partnership with Fuji TV and Slow Curve to begin developing anime content starting April 2022.

On March 1, 2022, the subscription services Funimation, Wakanim, and VRV were integrated into Crunchyroll; concurrently, Funimation Global Group was renamed and gradually phased out in favor of the Crunchyroll brand. That same month, Crunchyroll broadened its presence in India by introducing Hindi and Indian English subtitles and dubs. In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, both Crunchyroll and Wakanim halted operations in Russia while Sony contributed $2 million toward humanitarian relief.

Beginning in Spring 2022, access to new simulcast episodes required a subscription, although select episodes remained temporarily available for free. In April 2022, Funimation’s YouTube channel was rebranded as Crunchyroll Dubs to feature English-dubbed series; meanwhile, English-subtitled content continued under Crunchyroll Collection. Additionally, the Funimation Shop was merged into the Crunchyroll Store.

In November 2022, Crunchyroll integrated with Discord to enable users’ viewing activity to be displayed on their profiles. By March 2023, a dedicated Crunchyroll button appeared on new Sony Bravia TV remotes, alongside the launch of a feature streaming J-pop and anime music videos spotlighting Sony Music Japan artists.

In May 2023, Crunchyroll collaborated with Duolingo to introduce Japanese language lessons themed around anime.

Markus Gerdemann, Senior Vice President, highlighted in October 2023 that significant growth markets outside the United States include Brazil, France, Germany, and Mexico—regions collectively comprising over 800 million anime enthusiasts worldwide.

February 2024 saw the debut of the weekly podcast Crunchyroll Presents: The Anime Effect, focusing on anime’s cultural influence. That month also marked the expansion of Crunchyroll’s app availability to LG and Samsung smart TVs globally. President Rahul Purini emphasized advancements in AI-assisted subtitling to expedite international releases but clarified that AI would not be employed in creative areas such as voice acting.

To address concerns over objectionable content amid criticism during July 2024, Crunchyroll disabled comments across all its platforms. The following day, its online store extended service to 34 European nations. At San Diego Comic-Con 2024, a refreshed brand identity was unveiled featuring an updated logo and typography.

In August 2024, Crunchyroll launched a localized campaign in Indonesia providing subtitles and dubs tailored for Southeast Asian audiences and partnered with Spotify to offer curated anime playlists within Spotify’s Anime Hub.

At Sony’s CES 2025 press conference on January 7, Crunchyroll announced plans for a premium digital manga application named Crunchyroll Manga, scheduled for release later in 2025 on iOS and Android platforms initially targeting English-speaking users in the U.S. and Canada, with future expansions including additional languages and web access.

Original productions

On February 25, 2020, Crunchyroll revealed seven titles under its Crunchyroll Originals banner. These animated series were either fully produced or co-produced by the company. After Sony's acquisition, the label was quietly phased out along with the shutdown of Crunchyroll’s internal production studios.

Titles categorized as "Crunchyroll Originals" included:

Title	Premiere date	Finale date	Episodes	Remarks	Animation studio
In/Spectre	January 11, 2020	March 28, 2020	12	Adapted from Kyo Shirodaira’s novel series.	Brain's Base
Tower of God	April 1, 2020	June 24, 2020	13	Based on the webtoon by SIU.	Telecom Animation Film
The God of High School	July 6, 2020	September 28, 2020	13	Adaptation of Yongje Park’s webtoon.	MAPPA
Gibiate	July 15, 2020	September 30, 2020	12	Original concept by Ryō Aoki.	Lunch Box Studio Elle
Tonikawa: Over the Moon for You	October 3, 2020	December 19, 2020	12	Based on Kenjiro Hata’s manga.	Seven Arcs
Noblesse	October 7, 2020	December 30, 2020	13	Adapted from Son Jeho and Lee Kwangsu’s webtoon.	Production I.G
Onyx Equinox	November 21, 2020	December 26, 2020	12	Original creation by Sofia Alexander.	Crunchyroll Studios
So I'm A Spider, So What?	January 8, 2021	July 3, 2021	24	Adapted from light novels by Okina Baba and Tsukasa Kiryu.	Millepensee
Dr. Ramune Mysterious Disease Specialist	January 10, 2021	March 28, 2021	12	Based on manga by Aho Toro.	Platinum Vision
Ex-Arm	January 11, 2021	March 29, 2021	12	Adaptation of manga by HiRock and Shinya Komi.	Visual Flight
Fena: Pirate Princess	August 15, 2021	October 24, 2021	12	Original story by Kazuto Nakazawa and Production I.G; co-produced with Adult Swim.	Production I.G
High Guardian Spice	October 26, 2021	October 26, 2021	12	Original work by Raye Rodriguez.	Crunchyroll Studios
Blade Runner: Black Lotus	November14,2021	February6,2022	13	Based on the Blade Runner franchise; co-produced with Adult Swim.	Sola Digital Arts
FreakAngels	January27,2022	January27,2022	9	Adapted from the webcomic by Warren Ellis and Paul Duffield.	Crunchyroll Studios
Shenmue: The Animation	February6,2022	May1,2022	13	Adaptation of Yu Suzuki’s Shenmue video game series; co-produced with Adult Swim.	Telecom Animation Film
Meiji Gekken:1874	January14,2024	March24,2024	10	Original concept created by Tsukasa Sakurai and Naoki Tozuka.	Tsumugi Akita Anime Lab

Crunchyroll Channel

Sony announced on October10,2023 the launch of the Crunchyroll Channel, a free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service developed jointly by its Crunchyroll LLC and Game Show Network LLC divisions. Owned under Sony Pictures Entertainment and Aniplex (a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment Japan), this channel functions within Sony’s corporate ecosystem to expand its influence in anime streaming markets.

The channel launched on October11 across platforms such as The Roku Channel, LG Channels, and Vizio WatchFree+, followed by Amazon Freevee availability on October17 and Pluto TV on February5,2024. Based in Dallas, Texas, it offers continuous linear streaming with English-dubbed anime including titles like Horimiya, Ranking of Kings, Moriarty the Patriot, Psycho-Pass, Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest, Sugar Apple Fairy Tale, To Your Eternity, and Code Geass. This initiative is part of Sony’s strategy to capture a larger share of the expanding anime market by catering to both core enthusiasts and casual viewers seeking convenient access.

Device compatibility and service capabilities

Crunchyroll is accessible worldwide except in certain parts of Asia as well as Russia and Belarus. Users can stream via desktop web browsers on PCs. The service offers apps for various devices including Blu-ray players; mobile platforms such as iOS/iPadOS, Android, and Windows Phone; gaming consoles like Xbox One/Series X/S and PlayStation4/5/Vita; plus Nintendo Switch. It supports Windows and macOS computers and laptops; Smart TVs from LG, Samsung, Sony; media players including Apple TV, Roku, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV; operating systems such as Tizen OS and Android TV; Xiaomi Mi Box S; Nvidia Shield TV; and even virtual reality headsets running visionOS.

To broaden its reach further, Crunchyroll is also available through Prime Video Channels in the United States, Canada, Sweden, and the United Kingdom with plans to expand into additional regions during 2024. This integration strengthens its global presence and competitive positioning within the streaming industry.

The Anime Awards

The Crunchyroll Anime Awards are yearly honors that celebrate outstanding anime from the prior year. Launched in January2017,the awards feature twenty judges from diverse backgrounds who select six nominees per category. Winners are then decided through public online voting.

Crunchyroll Expo

Crunchyroll Expo (CRX) is an annual anime convention held in San Jose, California, inaugurated in2017. Initially produced by LeftField Media,it partnered with ReedPop beginning in2020. The event has hosted exclusive premieres such as the film Blackfox and an OVA for Mob Psycho100 II. Toei Animation has also presented screenings of popular works like various Dragon Ball Z movies.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, CRX was conducted virtually in both2020and2021. In2022,Crunhyroll extended its global footprint by organizing an expo in Australia. However,the main San Jose event was cancelled in2023 so that focus could shift toward participation in an increasing number of international expos and festivals.

Reception

Crunchyroll generally receives positive reviews as an anime-focused streaming platform. For instance,IGN praised its simulcast offerings for new Japanese series. Meanwhile,PCMag acknowledged its extensive catalog but observed that the user interface could feel congested. Conversely,the Crunchyroll Originals line has attracted criticism due to production issues noted by sources like Anime News Network, especially regarding internal productions and U.S.-Japan collaborations.

Controversies

Crunchyroll has encountered allegations related to anti-union conduct within its English dubbing operations. After transitioning to remote recording during the COVID-19 pandemic,the company resumed studio recordings in May2022 primarily employing Texas-based voice actors because its studio is located there. Since Texas is a right-to-work state,the Coalition of Dubbing Actors (CODA) claimed this strategy aimed to weaken unionization efforts,and they urged Crunchyroll to engage in negotiations with SAG-AFTRA. In September2022,Crunhyroll terminated SAG-AFTRA member Kyle McCarley from his role in Mob Psycho100 after he proposed a non-union contract contingent upon union discussions,a proposal rejected by Crunchyroll.

In June2023,Crunhyroll reportedly barred voice actors from reprising their roles for the mobile game Tower of God: New World due to unresolved union contract matters. Following Sony's acquisition,the United States Department of Justice examined the merger between Funimation and Crunchyroll for potential antitrust issues.CODA described this merged entity as a "chokepoint of power" within dubbing circles,Comic Book Resources criticized it for creating a monopoly affecting pricing and availability across regions.In February2024,Crunhyroll announced it would no longer honor digital anime purchases made through Funimation accounts,resulting in significant backlash.

In October2024,dubbing artist David Wald accused Crunchyroll of intercepting fan mail addressed to him over five years,a claim denied by Crunchyroll which launched an internal inquiry.Shortly after,the actor departed from his role as Gajeel Redfox in Fairy Tailand declared he would not return to work at Crunchyroll’s studio following these events.

See also

• List of anime distributed in the United States
• List of anime releases made concurrently in the United States and Japan