NEWS

Anime specialist Crunchyroll hits 3 million streaming subscribers

Published on: 29th July 2020

The anime specialist, Crunchyroll has hit a new milestone of 3 million subscribers to its global streaming service, highlighting both the growing audience for the animation genre and the platform’s own accelerating growth.

The WarnerMedia-owned business was founded in 2006 and had reached one million streaming subscribers in 2016. By the end of 2018 it had reached the 2 million subscribers mark. Having started out as a San Francisco-based online forum for uploaded anime clips and message boards, it has grown to over 70 million registered users in 200 countries.

The platform now proposes to be the world’s largest anime library with more than 1,000 titles and 30,000 episodes. Last year, Crunchyroll found a new home under WarnerMedia as part of the entertainment giant’s launch plans for HBO Max and a hub of anime curated by Crunchyroll.

The anime platform also recently detailed a slate of summer licensing partnerships across a plethora of categories and series.

“We are excited to announce these new licensing partnerships that serve our fans with quality products based on the shows they are passionate about,” said John Leonhardt, head of consumer products.

Titles from across the Crunchyroll portfolio that will enjoy new licensing partnerships include Bananya, Black Clover, Food Wars, and Mobile Suit Gundam, which will see new apparel and accessory ranges launch via Bioworld and posters from Trends International; Given which has been granted to both Great Eastern and Bioworld for apparel and accessories; Welcome to Demon School! Iruma Kun, Haikyu, The Quintessential Quintuplets, Sarazanmai, and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, which have each been granted to Great Eastern for apparel and accessories; and Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card, Dr Stone, Mob Psycho 100, and Yuri!!! on Ice, which were granted to Trends International for posters.

On top of this, The Junji Ito Cat Diary: Yon & Mu was granted to Ripple Junction for apparel and accessories, and Radiant was granted to Bioworld for apparel and accessories.

Other titles available for license include the new Crunchyroll Originals Tower of God, a dark fantasy action series, and The God of High School, a high-energy tournament competition series, both based on Webtoon comics of the same name, as well as Onyx Equinox, the story of a young Aztec boy fighting for humanity in Mesoamerica.

Crunchyroll currently manages all-rights for more than 350 anime titles, working with more than 100 global licensees to provide anime fans with the best lifestyle, fashion, and home goods products from their favourite series.

Crunchyroll also operates a direct to consumer retail destination, which recently launched a Godzilla streetwear collection with Toho International, Inc. through the in house streetwear brand Crunchyroll Loves. This DTC fan connection is further strengthened by Crunchyroll’s robust online community, with more than 40 million followers across social media.

 

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