The deal will give Sony access to Crunchyroll’s 3 million paying subscribers across more than 200 countries and regions, helping Sony compete more globally with entertainment giants such as Netflix. Sony’s Funimation Global Group, a US animation distributor with 1 million paying subscribers, will own Crunchyroll, currently part of AT&T’s WarnerMedia segment. Despite Crunchyroll’s loyal following among anime fans, AT&T felt the anime streaming service was too niche for the broader audience its streaming service HBO Max wants to pursue, a source familiar with the company said. The proceeds will be paid in cash at closing, AT&T and Sony said. It will be distributed by Funimation, now jointly held by Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc and Aniplex.

Source: Dhaka Tribune December 10, 2020 02:15 UTC