The Funimation streaming service will cease operations on April 2, nearly three years after it and Crunchyroll were acquired by Sony Entertainment. And beginning on January 28, 2025 the price of Crunchyroll will nearly double—from $54.95 a year to $99.99.
In an official announcement this week, Funimation told its subscribers, “Rest assured, this transition will not impact your access to the vast library of anime available on Crunchyroll. We remain committed to delivering the best anime streaming experience and will continue to expand our offerings to cater to your diverse interests.”
As a result of these changes, Crunchyroll will no longer be supporting Funimation Digital copies. In an email to Funimation customers, Sony Entertainment stated that “You don’t have to leave your Funimation Watch History and Funimation Queue behind, you can migrate them to Crunchyroll.”
Sony had purchased Crunchyroll from AT&T in 2021, making it a major player in the anime realm. At the time, Tony Vinciquierra, the CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment, was quoted as saying that the acquisition was designed to create “the ultimate anime experience for fans.”
However, not all of these fans are amused by the recent shifts, judging from reaction on social media platforms to the news that Crunchyroll won’t be offering its customers access to Funimation’s digital copies.
As a result of these changes, Funimation subscribers will be losing access to anime streaming by April 2 unless they make the decision to transfer to Crunchyroll. The Crunchyroll platform provides simulcast access, which means that customers worldwide will be able to watch content as soon as it’s been released in Japan.
The Funimation streaming service had been established in 2016 in the United States and became one of the leading distributors of anime and other foreign entertainment properties in North America. Among the many popular series it has streamed include Dragon Ball, One Piece, Yu Yu Hakusho, My Hero Academia, Attack on Titan, Fairy Tail, Black Clover, Fruits Basket, Assassination Classroom, and Tokyo Ghoul.