AlthoughCrunchyrollmay be known for anime releases, like any other company it has dipped its toe into different businesses to create a profitable portfolio. From publishing, to digital manga, to theatrical, to e-commerce, Crunchyroll is one of those companies that are much bigger than you realize.
That said, there are still other industries to challenge and new types of products to invest in, and Crunchyroll has silently entered a multi-billion dollar market most are not aware of. What is this industry, and why is the number one distributor of anime getting involved in it?
What is Crunchyroll?
Crunchyroll is a popular streaming service and media company specializing in anime, manga, and Asian content. Originally founded in 2006 as a website for pirating anime, the service now offers a vast library oflegally licensedanime series, movies, and simulcasts to a global audience (though Japan, ironically, isn’t one of the countries where it is available). They have since become a key player in bringing anime to international fans, with both free ad-supported streaming and premium subscription options.
Who Owns Them?
Crunchyroll has been owned by Sony since they acquired them in 2021 through their subsidiary, Funimation Global Group, which also distributed anime. This acquisition allowed Sony to consolidate its position in the anime streaming market by combining Crunchyroll’s extensive catalog with Funimation’s resources. This resulted in the shuttering of Funimation as a brand and thesunsetting of FunimationNow as a stand-alone streaming service (most of the content moved to Crunchyroll).
What Are Some Other Ventures Crunchyroll Has Tried?
Being a major player in the anime industry, it is only natural that Crunchyroll has branched out into other industries. They attempted to crack the manga market by distributing manga on a separate app (long before Viz Media and Azuki got into the subscription model). They also pioneered the simulcast model, in which anime is streamed hours (if not minutes) after it premiers in Japan. The company has also dabbled in podcasting and publishing, and in 2022 the companybought Right Stuf International, giving them an online retail presence.
The Netflix Move
Why Games Though?
If so, then that means that property is ripe for capitalizing on in the Crunchyroll ecosystem. Since most anime in Japan have a mobile game, if a series gets enough views, then porting over a mobile game of the anime would create more engagement for the platform. If the game doesn’t exist, the cost to license and develop mobile games is relatively inexpensive because of the money that can be earned from ads. What’s more, it gives Crunchyroll an opportunity to up-charge on select service plans to give their members access to these games, thus bringing in more revenue for the company. Finally, it makes a lot of sense because many anime fans (and especially those who watch anime on their smartphones) tend to be mobile gamers as well, so the expansion makes a lot of sense.
Will this be successful in the long run? Right now, it’s hard to say. Most of their game offerings haven’t made much of a dent in the gaming space, and its most notable release isHime’s Quest, aGame Boy-inspired RPGin the vein ofThe Legend of ZeldaandPokemonwhere players take company mascot - Crunchyroll-Hime - on an epic quest. Praised for being a fun throwback to handheld games of the 90s. Ultimately, the big test of whether this is a profitable endeavor is when the games are made available outside of Crunchyroll’s paywall, and the general public is given a chance to get their hands on them. It is a big gamble, but one that can prove very successful if pulled off correctly.
