Sony has definitely acquired Crunchyroll. In the night came the confirmation of this sensational acquisition, which had already been in the air for some months. Crunchyroll, the streaming platform dedicated to anime and animation owned by Warner Bros., was therefore purchased for the an astronomical figure of 1.175 billion dollars. The acquisition will take place through a merger between the platform and Funanimation, the other streaming platform dedicated to anime and animation already owned by Sony. These are the statements of Tony Vinciquerra, President and CEO di Sony Pictures Entertainment:
We are proud to bring Crunchyroll to the Sony family. Thanks to Funimation and our fantastic partners Aniplex and Sony Music Entertainment Japan, we have a deep understanding of this global art form and are well positioned to deliver exceptional content to audiences around the world. Together with Crunchyroll, we will create the best possible experience for fans and more opportunities for creators, producers and publishers in Japan and elsewhere. Funimation has been doing this for over 25 years and we look forward to continuing to harness the power of creativity and technology to succeed in this fast-growing entertainment segment.
The news of the acquisition was communicated directly by Sony through its official website. At the moment, however, no further details have been released on this sensational operation that is going to change the balance of a market currently in strong growth and decidedly profitable. The streaming site founded in 2006 had already changed hands once two years ago, from its original owners to AT&T who controlled it through Warner Media. Now the control of the activities goes to Funimation, which is controlled by Sony, a leading American anime distribution company. So let's expect important news, especially from the point of view of Anime, in the coming months, perhaps with some important acquisitions in the Japanese animation scene.
