Sony’s Crunchyroll inked global distribution pact with Amazon bringing the anime streaming service to Prime Video — letting you access Crunchyroll’s library of 24,000 hours of content from the ecommerce giant’s video platform.
Crunchyroll is now available via Prime Video Channels in the U.S., Canada, Sweden and the U.K., followed by additional territories throughout 2024. Prime members can pick from two Crunchyroll membership plans: Fan ($7.99/month in the U.S.) or Mega Fan ($9.99/month), both of which allow customers to stream the entire Crunchyroll library without ads and access new episodes of shows shortly after they air in Japan. At launch, Mega Fan subscribers also can download titles for offline viewing, with “additional non-video benefits to be added shortly,” according to Amazon. (Both plans are available for the same price directly from Crunchyroll.)
The Crunchyroll app is available on 13 platforms, including the web, gaming consoles, Roku and Amazon’s Fire TV line. Now, if you subscribe through Prime Video Channels, you can access Crunchyroll on dozens of devices, including smart TVs, set-tops and Blu-ray players.
Under a separate agreement, Crunchyroll this month launched a free, ad-supported anime channel in the U.S. with partners including Amazon’s Freevee.
Crunchyroll offers more than 1,300 series and films, comprising 46,000 show episodes. More than 50 new titles are in the fall anime season, including fantasy adventure series “Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End,” action-packed “Jujutsu Kaisen” and long-running epic “One Piece” (not to be confused with Netflix’s live-action adaptation).
“Crunchyroll offers an anime adventure for every kind of fan. From sports to romantic comedy, horror and action to slice-of-life, even the anime-curious can get immersed in our library,” said Terry Li, executive VP of emerging business at Crunchyroll. “We look forward to welcoming new fans into the anime community through our launch on Prime Video Channels.”
Crunchyroll is a joint venture of U.S.-based Sony Pictures Entertainment and Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan), both of which are subsidiaries of Sony Group.
For Amazon, the distribution deal for Crunchyroll is part of its strategy to make Prime Video a one-stop-shop for multiple streaming subscriptions — all available through a single Amazon sign-on. Prime members can subscribe to Prime Video Channels with no extra apps to download beyond Prime Video. “Prime Video already offers an unparalleled collection of premium entertainment, including third-party channels so customers can enjoy their favorite movies and series directly on Prime Video,” said Matt Cohen, head of content acquisition and partnerships for Prime Video Channels. “With the addition of Crunchyroll to Prime Video Channels, Prime members can now easily stream anime content on Prime Video.”
