NEWS: Sony's Funimation Global Group to Acquire Crunchyroll for US$1.175 Billion in Cash

[Cure Dragon 255]

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2 ... sh/.167254

I didnt know Funimation had THAT MUCH MONEY!!!

[Metalwario64]

I love this trend of massive corporations buying out their competition, leading to massive monopolies.

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

I think this was inevitable. Funimation is quickly becoming the Disney of anime. I wonder what this means for Crunchyroll's planned physical media operations? Guess now they will all be distributed under Funimation's name, and maybe Manga UK for it's territories?

[PurestEvil]

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2 ... sh/.167254

I didnt know Funimation had THAT MUCH MONEY!!!

Fuck. You have got to be kidding us, now we have another streaming service bought by another corporation with their own streaming service (glares at The Mouse).

[dragonmagico]

i dont know if funi did, but sony does, they bought the entire subsidiary that owns CR and a couple other things.

[WittyUsername]

Since Sony is a Japanese conglomerate, I guess it’s only fitting that they would own the biggest service for watching anime.

[Chuquita]

I wish they'd break up some of these monopolies, but I realize that they don't because people are either too comfortable with the benefits of fast shipping or benefits they get from these companies themselves.

It's unfortunate. Even though I wasn't the biggest fan of Crunchyroll, I'd rather see some competition between them and Funi than see them merge.

(Though I do think I read the other day someone is trying to break up Facebook.)

[UpFromTheSkies]

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2 ... sh/.167254

I didnt know Funimation had THAT MUCH MONEY!!!

If Sony owns FUNimation, it's really Sony money

I just hope they don't jack up subscription fees

[SupremeSSJ]

Well I hope my VRV account dosen't get messed up or a price hike some how because At&t offers me free VRV as long as my mobile account is active.

[MasenkoHA]

Damn and to think this is the same company that fired their original cheap ADR studio to save cash and used screen grabs for home video cover art.

Started from the bottom now they’re here. The Walt Disney of dubbing companies

[coola]

"The union of Funimation and Crunchyroll is a win for anime fans around the world" I really admire people who can lie without blinking eye Disregarding my problems with Funimation, I'm overall against it, look at games, it never end well, Bullfrog? Gone, Origin? Gone, etc. Blizzard is shadow of it's former self after getting acquired by Activision.

That how it usually ends

[Thanos]

I'm as against corporate monopolies as anyone, but it's crazy how far FUNimation has come. When they started on DBZ they were basically starting with zero with no money and now they're this multibillion dollar juggernaut.

[Kakkaroto735]

Now Funimation will end up dubbing every anime that comes to the west just because of the sheer power that they have over the anime market. Gone are the days of alternative dubs for anime, the era of the Funimation monopoly has begun. If you think the Funimation home releases were bad before, watch what they do now once they don't have to care what fans think because of their market power. They'll probably fry the image, add a green tint and call it a day. "In the best way possible" "Ultimate Edition" "4:3 aspect ratio" "HIGH DEFINITION".
Man I think I'm scaring myself....

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

Come to think of it, I wonder what are the odds now that Funimation could buy other dubbing studios like Ocean and Bang Zoom? They would have a much wider selection of actors to use in future dubs, and another way to milk Dragon Ball as they could release the alternate dubs without having to worry about supporting a competitor. Sadly probably wouldn't happen since they don't even use the uncut Pioneer movies as audio tracks on the available releases of Z movies 1-3, but maybe one possible good thing that could come from future buyouts.

[Kakkaroto735]

Come to think of it, I wonder what are the odds now that Funimation could buy other dubbing studios like Ocean and Bang Zoom? They would have a much wider selection of actors to use in future dubs, and another way to milk Dragon Ball as they could release the alternate dubs without having to worry about supporting a competitor. Sadly probably wouldn't happen since they don't even use the uncut Pioneer movies as audio tracks on the available releases of Z movies 1-3, but maybe one possible good thing that could come from future buyouts.

They don't care. Look what happened with the BD Audio. We're not gonna get any more than is necessary for Funi to make money.

[Adamant]

"The union of Funimation and Crunchyroll is a win for anime fans around the world" I really admire people who can lie without blinking eye

Considering this is probably going to lead to Funimation discontinuing their garbage one-single-country-only streaming service that has resulted in keeping so many shows from so many fans around the world, I don't really see how this isn't going to be a win for everyone. Nobody ever benefitted from that service existing.

[UpFromTheSkies]

Honestly I doubt much will change, they'll probably let crunchyroll continue doing what it's been doing and just rake in the cash from it.

[MasenkoHA]

Come to think of it, I wonder what are the odds now that Funimation could buy other dubbing studios like Ocean and Bang Zoom?

I always got the impression that Funimation took pride in their homegrown talent pool of voice actors. I can’t imagine them buying out two recording studios outside of Texas just to outsource work to California and Vancouver. Imagine the thought of Funimation producing a dub that doesn’t have Chris Sabat in it.

[Son Gara]

Wonder what this will mean for their own streaming service? Getting rid of it? Combining? My only concern is losing my free digital copies that are locked to Funi's service.