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Funimation, Crunchyroll End Content-Sharing Partnership (Update)
posted on by Karen Ressler
partnership to share content will end on Friday, November 9.
The streaming channel bundle service HIDIVE streaming service.
According to a memo to Funimation staff from Funimation's president and CEO Gen Fukunaga, FunimationNow subscribers will gain access to the subtitled versions of "several hundred" titles on November 9, but will lose a "handful" of dubbed titles. Crunchyroll also noted that a number of titles will leave both services, and that the companies will update later on which titles will be impacted.
Crunchyroll clarified, however, that currently-airing simulcasts and series that premiered during the partnership (including My Hero Academia) will still be available on Crunchyroll, and all planned home video releases will still ship as scheduled. Fukunaga also said that all titles licensed during the partnership will still be shared between the two companies.
Crunchyroll explained that the partnership is ending because "Funimation has decided to go their separate way." Fukunaga explained that Funimation's decision to end the partnership was due to its dub anime brand." Fukunaga said that the partnership "ended amicably this month."
Crunchyroll and Funimation first simulcast streaming, with Crunchyroll streaming the subtitled version and Funimation streaming a simuldub.
In addition, Funimation released some Crunchyroll catalog titles on home video with English dubs, and some titles digitally with English subtitles.
Crunchyroll also recently underwent a change in ownership; AT&T announced in August that it has acquired all of Ellation's holding company Otter Media, a t venture it previously co-owned with The Chernin Group.
Source: Crunchyroll, VRV, Variety (Todd Spangler)
Update: Funimation tier.
In addition, Funimation said that it expects several hundred subtitled shows to launch soon on FunimationNow in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. Funimation also hopes to offer its streaming service in non-English languages in the future.
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