Sony Funimation Global Group acquires Crunchyroll for $1.175 Billion

It means more anime backlog really.

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Originally announced in December 2020, Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc (via Sony Funimation Global Group) and AT&T Inc just revealed that it recently acquired streaming anime giant Crunchyroll.

Check out the official Tweet below:

Official Statement from Sony Pictures:

“We are very excited to welcome Crunchyroll to the Sony Group,” said Kenichiro Yoshida, Chairman, President and CEO, Sony Group Corporation. “Anime is a rapidly growing medium that enthralls and inspires emotion among audiences around the globe. The alignment of Crunchyroll and Funimation will enable us to get even closer to the creators and fans who are the heart of the anime community.  We look forward to delivering even more outstanding entertainment that fills the world with emotion through anime.”

“Crunchyroll adds tremendous value to Sony’s existing anime businesses, including Funimation and our terrific partners at Aniplex and Sony Music Entertainment Japan,” said Tony Vinciquerra, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. “With Crunchyroll and Funimation, we are committed to creating the ultimate anime experience for fans and presenting a unique opportunity for our key partners, publishers, and the immensely talented creators to continue to deliver their masterful content to audiences around the world.  With the addition of Crunchyroll, we have an unprecedented opportunity to serve anime fans like never before and deliver the anime experience across any platform they choose, from theatrical, events, home entertainment, games, streaming, linear TV — everywhere and every way fans want to experience their anime. Our goal is to create a unified anime subscription experience as soon as possible.”

 

Crunchyroll, for those curious, is one of the largest anime streaming services available right now. It is currently serving 120 million registered users in over 200 countries and is home to a lot of heavy-hitting titles like My Hero Academia, One Piece and Demon Slayer to name a few. Currently they have over 30,000 episodes for your viewing pleasure.

To sum it all up – what this acquisition really means is that… Your backlog will get even bigger.