Funimation

(Redirected from Simuldub)

Funimation[b] was an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. Launched in 2016, the service was one of the leading distributors of anime and other foreign entertainment properties in North America. It streamed popular series, such as Dragon Ball, One Piece, YuYu Hakusho, My Hero Academia, Attack on Titan, Fairy Tail, Black Clover, Fruits Basket, Assassination Classroom and Tokyo Ghoul among many others.[1] The service and its parent company were acquired by Sony,[2][3] who ran the service through Sony Pictures Entertainment from 2017 to 2019 and then through SPE and Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex from 2019 to its closure in 2024. In 2021, Sony acquired Crunchyroll.[4]

Funimation
Final logo for the streaming service used from 2020 to 2024
FormerlyFunimationNow (2016–2020)
Type of businessDivision
Type of site
OTT streaming platform
Available in3 languages
List of languages
  • English
  • Portuguese
  • Spanish
DissolvedApril 2, 2024; 7 months ago (2024-04-02)
HeadquartersDallas, Texas, U.S.
Country of originUnited States
Area servedWorldwide[a]
Industry
Products
Services
  • Film distribution
  • Television distribution
URLArchived official website at the Wayback Machine (archived 2024-04-02)
CommercialYes
RegistrationRequired
LaunchedJanuary 7, 2016; 8 years ago (2016-01-07)
Current statusDefunct (consolidated into Crunchyroll)

In March 2022, Funimation Global Group, the service's parent company, was rebranded as Crunchyroll, LLC and a large majority of its catalog was moved to Crunchyroll;[5][6] despite this, the Funimation streaming service remained active and continued to distribute titles that were originally licensed by the Funimation company before the merger until it was shut down in April 2024.[7][8]

History

edit

Origins

edit

In the early 1990s, Japanese-born businessman Gen Fukunaga was approached by his uncle, Nagafumi Hori, who was working as a producer for Toei Company. Hori proposed that if Fukunaga could start a production company and raise enough money, Toei Animation would license the rights to the Dragon Ball franchise to the United States. Fukunaga met with co-worker Daniel Cocanougher, whose family owned a feed mill in Decatur, Texas, and convinced Cocanougher's family to sell their business and serve as an investor for his new company.[9][10][11] The company was founded on May 9, 1994, as FUNimation Productions.[12]

They initially collaborated with other companies on Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z, such as BLT Productions, Ocean Studios, Pioneer and Saban Entertainment.[13][14] After two aborted attempts to bring the Dragon Ball franchise to television via first-run syndication, Cartoon Network began airing Dragon Ball Z as part of its Toonami programming block in 1998, which quickly became the highest-rated show on the block and garnered a large following.[15][16][17] The success of Dragon Ball Z is credited for allowing Funimation to acquire other licensed titles.[17][18]

Launch and beginning of Funimation Films

edit

In 2009, Funimation signed a deal with Toei Animation to stream several of its anime titles online through the Funimation website.[19] On October 14, 2011, Funimation announced a partnership with Niconico, the English language version of Nico Nico Douga, to form the Funico brand for the licensing of anime for streaming and home video release. From this point on, virtually all titles simulcasted by Niconico were acquired by Funimation.[20] On February 18, 2012, Funimation announced that it would launch its video streaming app on April 6, 2012.[21]

In 2014, Funimation released Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods to theaters in partnership with Screenvision.[22] Based on its success, Funimation launched its own theatrical division in December 2014.[23] On June 22, 2015, Funimation and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment announced a multi-year home video distribution deal. The deal allowed UPHE to manage distribution and sales of Funimation's catalog of titles.[24] Universal began distributing Funimation's titles in October of that year.[25]

Rebranding as FunimationNow

edit
 
The FunimationNow logo used from 2016 to 2020

In January 2016, Funimation introduced a new logo and announced the rebranding of their streaming platform as "FunimationNow".[26][27] In April 2016, they launched their service in the UK and Ireland.[28]

On September 8, 2016, Funimation announced a partnership with Crunchyroll. Select Funimation titles would be streamed subtitled on Crunchyroll, while select Crunchyroll titles would be streamed on FunimationNow, including upcoming dubbed content. In addition, Funimation would act as the distributor for Crunchyroll's home video catalog.[29]

On May 18, 2017, Shout! Factory acquired the North American distribution rights to In This Corner of the World, with a U.S. theatrical release to take place on August 11, 2017, co-released by Funimation Films.[30]

Acquisition by Sony Pictures Television

edit

In May 2017, it was reported that Universal Studios and Sony Pictures Television were interested in purchasing Funimation; however, Universal decided not to proceed with the bidding.[31] On July 31, 2017, Sony Pictures Television announced that it would buy a controlling 95% stake in Funimation for $143 million, a deal that was approved by the United States Department of Justice on August 22, 2017.[32] This deal allowed Funimation to have synergies with Sony's Animax and Kids Station divisions and "direct access to the creative pipeline".[33] The deal was closed on October 27, 2017.[34]

On February 16, 2018, it was reported that Shout! Factory's Shout! Studios division acquired the U.S./Canadian distribution rights to Big Fish & Begonia and partnered with Funimation Films again for distribution.[35] On July 12, 2018, it was announced that Funimation Films had picked up licensing rights for Dragon Ball Super: Broly in North America and that its English dub would premiere in theaters sometime in January 2019 in the United States and Canada, only around a month after its national premiere in Japan.[36]

On August 7, 2018, AT&T fully acquired Otter Media, owner of Crunchyroll.[37] On October 18, 2018, Funimation and Crunchyroll announced that their partnership with would end on November 9, 2018, as a result of Sony Pictures Television's acquisition of Funimation.[38] Despite the home video releases being unaffected and still going on as planned, select Funimation content would be removed from Crunchyroll, and subtitled content would return to FunimationNow. Additionally, it was also announced that Funimation would be removed from Otter Media-owned streaming service VRV entirely, being replaced by Hidive.[38] In December 2018, it was reported that another reason the partnership ended was due to a dispute concerning international expansion.[39] On December 4, 2018, Funimation inked an exclusive multi-year first-look SVOD deal with Hulu.[40]

On March 23, 2019, at AnimeJapan 2019, Funimation announced that they had partnered with Chinese streaming service Bilibili to jointly license anime titles for both the U.S. and Chinese markets.[41]

On May 29, 2019, Funimation announced that they had acquired Manga Entertainment's UK branch, and immediately consolidated the former's UK business into the latter's.[42] On July 5, 2019, Funimation announced at Anime Expo that they had reached a streaming partnership with Right Stuf Inc., with select titles from Nozomi Entertainment being made available on FunimationNow later in the year.[43] On August 31, 2019, Aniplex of America announced on Twitter that they would be partnering with Funimation Films to co-release Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dreaming Girl theatrically in the U.S. on October 2, 2019, and in Canada on October 4, 2019.[44]

SPT / Aniplex joint venture and streaming consolidation

edit

On September 24, 2019, Sony Pictures Television and Aniplex announced that they were consolidating their international anime streaming businesses under a new joint venture, Funimation Global Group, LLC., with Funimation general manager Colin Decker leading the joint venture. The joint venture would operate under Funimation's branding, and allow Funimation to acquire and distribute titles with Aniplex subsidiaries Wakanim, Madman Anime and AnimeLab. The first title under the joint venture, Fate/Grand Order - Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia, would receive a 30-day exclusivity on FunimationNow, AnimeLab and Wakanim, and provide Funimation exclusive rights to the English dub for one year.[45]

In December 2019, Funimation launched a "Decade of Anime" poll in which fans voted for their favorite anime across multiple categories.[46][47]

On January 24, 2020, Funimation announced it would be merging its online catalog into AnimeLab for Australian and New Zealand audiences, and would shut down FunimationNow for Australia and New Zealand on March 30.[48]

On May 1, 2020, Funimation announced that they formed a partnership with Kodansha Comics to host a series of weekly watch parties.[49] On May 4, Funimation announced that they had struck a deal with NIS America to stream select titles on FunimationNow.[50]

On July 3, 2020, Funimation announced at FunimationCon that they would expand their streaming service to Latin America, starting with Mexico and Brazil in Q4 2020, with one of the first dubbed titles released being Tokyo Ghoul:re.[51][52] Funimation later revealed that they would launch their Latin American services in December 2020.[53] However, they launched their service early on November 18, 2020.[54]

On September 9, 2020, Funimation announced that they had reached a distribution partnership with Viz Media, with Viz Media titles being made available to stream on Funimation's website.[55] The deal was made after select Viz titles such as Part I of Naruto and the first 75 episodes of Hunter × Hunter were previously made available on FunimationNow. On December 2, 2020, Brazilian TV channel Loading announced a content partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment. Funimation titles being included in the partnership was hinted at, but not confirmed.[56] Five days later, it was officially confirmed that Funimation titles would be included in the partnership.[57]

On November 24, 2020, Funimation announced they had partnered with Sunrise to stream select Gundam titles such as Mobile Suit Gundam, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED, and later Mobile Suit Gundam Wing and Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam. Some Gundam titles already streamed on Funimation prior to said partnership like Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans.[58]

On December 9, 2020, Sony Pictures Entertainment announced that it would acquire Crunchyroll from AT&T's WarnerMedia (later spun out by AT&T and merged with Discovery, Inc. to form Warner Bros. Discovery) for a total of US$1.175 billion in cash, placing the company under Funimation once the acquisition was finalized.[59] The acquisition of Crunchyroll was completed on August 9, 2021, with Sony stating in their press release that they would create a unified anime subscription using their anime businesses as soon as possible.[60]

On April 12, 2021, it was announced that subsidiary Manga Entertainment would officially be rebranding as Funimation UK in the UK and Ireland, starting on April 19, 2021.[61] On June 10, 2021, it was announced AnimeLab would begin the process of rebranding and transitioning its services to Funimation in Australia and New Zealand, on June 17, 2021.[62] On June 16, 2021, Funimation launched in Colombia, Chile, and Peru.[63]

On September 1, 2021, Funimation and Gonzo announced a partnership to upload select remastered titles on their respective YouTube channels until November 30. These titles were Ragnarok the Animation, Witchblade and Burst Angel.[64]

On January 25, 2022, Crunchyroll announced that they were going to release Jujutsu Kaisen 0 in theaters on March 18, 2022, in the United States and Canada. The film launched in over 1,500 theaters, as well as some IMAX theatres, in both sub and dub. They also stated that the feature would be coming soon to theaters in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, and Latin America among other countries. This was the first and only Crunchyroll film to be distributed in association with Funimation Films.[65]

On March 1, 2022, it was announced that the Funimation, Wakanim and VRV SVOD services would be consolidated into Crunchyroll.[5][6] Despite this, the Funimation streaming service remained in operation, and continued to simulcast newer titles acquired by Crunchyroll, LLC after the merger.[7][66][67]

On February 7, 2024, it was announced that the Funimation app and website would shut down on April 2, 2024, and that all Funimation subscribers could choose to migrate their account data to Crunchyroll until then.[8] As part of the merger of services, legacy Funimation subscribers would see a price increase and users would lose access to their digital library.[68][69] Following complaints from users, Crunchyroll president Rahul Purini stated that the company would work with customers to provide "appropriate value" for their digital copies.[70][71]

Programming

edit

Funimation Channel

edit
Funimation Channel
CountryUnited States
Broadcast areaNorthern America
NetworkColours TV (2006–2008)
HeadquartersWest Palm Beach, Florida
Programming
Language(s)English
Spanish (via SAP audio track)
Picture format1080i HDTV
(downscaled to letterboxed 480i for the SDTV feed)
Ownership
OwnerOlympusat
ParentFunimation
History
LaunchedSeptember 29, 2005; 19 years ago (2005-09-29)
ClosedDecember 31, 2015; 8 years ago (2015-12-31)
Replaced byToku

Funimation Entertainment, along with OlympuSAT, launched the Funimation Channel on September 29, 2005, the second 24-hour anime digital cable network in North America (the first being A.D. Vision's Anime Network).[72][73] OlympuSAT was the exclusive distributor of the channel.[73]

On March 23, 2006, a syndicated block was announced for Colours TV.[74] A few months later, it was announced that the channel was launched in a few cities via VHF and UHF digital signals.[75][76] Both services were discontinued in favor for a more successful expansion on digital cable, fiber optics and DBS systems.[77][78] The channel launched its HD feed on September 27, 2010.[79] On December 31, 2015, Funimation and OlympuSAT ended their deal and no longer broadcasts Funimation titles on the channel.[80] The television channel was replaced by Toku, while Funimation announced plans to relaunch Funimation Channel in 2016.[81][82]

Back in 2007, Funimation licensed Revolutionary Girl Utena: The Movie, the Record of Lodoss War series, the Project A-ko series, Urusei Yatsura: Beautiful Dreamer and Grave of the Fireflies from Central Park Media and played them on the Funimation Channel on television in the United States.[83][84][85][c] In 2009, they licensed Buso Renkin, Honey and Clover, Hunter × Hunter, Nana and Monster from Viz Media (their fellow rival) for the channel.[86][87][d] They also licensed Ninja Nonsense and Boogiepop Phantom from Right Stuf Inc.'s Nozomi Entertainment division for it as well. The only title licensed for Funimation Channel which was not licensed by Funimation, neither Viz Media, nor Nozomi Entertainment or Central Park Media was Haré+Guu, which was licensed for North American distribution by AN Entertainment and Bang Zoom! Entertainment and had its North American DVD release published by Funimation, while its licensors were the producers.[88][89] The only Enoki USA titles Funimation licensed for Funimation Channel were Revolutionary Girl Utena and His and Her Circumstances.[90]

Digital

edit

Funimation's catalog of series and films, as well as official Japanese simulcasts, were available for streaming on their website and dedicated apps.[91] They streamed over 800 titles from their catalog, Aniplex of America, Viz Media, Nozomi Entertainment, NIS America, and TMS Entertainment among other distributors. Their titles were available for streaming in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Peru, and by Wakanim they were also available in select parts of Europe, Africa, and Asia.[92][93] Via Crunchyroll, they also have over 5 million subscribers and 120 million registered users worldwide with over 1,200 anime titles, 200 dorama, and 80 manga currently available from a wide array of distributors such as Sentai Filmworks and Discotek Media.[94][95]

On September 19, 2006, Funimation created an official channel on YouTube where they upload advertisements for box sets, as well as clips and preview episodes of their licensed series. In September 2008, they began distributing full episodes of series on Hulu.[96] In April 2009, Funimation began distributing full episodes of series at Veoh.[97][98] In February 2012, Crackle began streaming select titles from Funimation, joining titles previously acquired from Funimation for their localized Animax hub.[99]

A dedicated Funimation streaming app launched for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in June and December 2014, respectively.[100][101] The app later launched on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One platforms in March and July 2015, respectively.[102][103] A Nintendo Switch app launched in December 2020.[104]

SimulDub

edit

In January 2014, English dubbed episodes of Space Dandy premiered on Adult Swim's Toonami programming block a day before the Japanese broadcast; one of the rare occasions an anime series premiered in the United States before Japan. Funimation would later introduce a new "SimulDub" program in October 2014, in which English dubs of their simulcast titles would premiere within weeks after their subtitled airing.[105] This practice began with SimulDub versions of Psycho-Pass 2 and Laughing Under the Clouds, episodes of which were streamed roughly three weeks to one month following their original Japanese broadcast.[106]

On March 18, 2020, Funimation announced that production of SimulDubs would be delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic; Subtitled simulcasts would continue as scheduled.[107] On April 10, 2020, Funimation announced that an episode of My Hero Academia had been recorded and would be released on April 12.[108] Funimation would later announce the scheduled release dates for SimulDubs that were produced during the COVID-19 pandemic.[109]

Following the corporate name change to Crunchyroll, LLC in 2022, the practice of SimulDubs officially continued with series such as Spy × Family, the second season of Classroom of the Elite, and Tomo-chan Is a Girl!.[110]

Availability

edit

The streaming service was available through Funimation's official website in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Peru and Brazil. In select parts of Europe, Africa, and Asia, it was available via Wakanim.[92]

The Funimation app was also available on digital media players (Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Roku), smart TVs (Android TV, Chromecast, Samsung, and LG Electronics), video game consoles (PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch) and smartphones (iOS, Android, and Amazon Kindle).[111]

Notes

edit
  1. ^ Funimation directly operated in the United States, Canada (in English), Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Peru, and Brazil, in the United Kingdom and Ireland through Funimation UK and Ireland, and in Australia and New Zealand through Madman Anime.
  2. ^ Formerly known as FunimationNow from 2016 to 2020.
  3. ^ Although Anime Network never aired Grave of the Fireflies on TV in the United States and Canada, it streamed the film on video on demand in the two countries.
  4. ^ Later, Viz Media streamed Nana, Buso Renkin and Honey and Clover on their Neon Alley service, but Hunter × Hunter (the 1999 anime, not the 2011 reboot), and Monster were never streamed on that service.

References

edit
  1. ^ "All Funimation Anime Shows List". Funimation. Archived from the original on March 30, 2024. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  2. ^ Ressler, Karen (July 31, 2017). "Sony Pictures TV to Acquire Majority Stake in Funimation". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on August 1, 2017. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  3. ^ "SONY PICTURES TELEVISION NETWORKS TO ACQUIRE SUBSTANTIAL MAJORITY STAKE IN FUNIMATION". Sony Pictures. July 31, 2017. Archived from the original on July 13, 2020. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  4. ^ Mateo, Alex (August 9, 2021). "Sony's Funimation Global Group Completes Acquisition of Crunchyroll from AT&T". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on August 9, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  5. ^ a b Spangler, Todd (March 1, 2022). "Crunchyroll Adds All Funimation Anime Content, Sony Starts to Phase Out Funimation Brand". Variety. Archived from the original on May 10, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  6. ^ a b "Anime Fans Win as Funimation Global Group Content Moves to Crunchyroll Starting Today". Crunchyroll. Sony Pictures. March 1, 2022. Archived from the original on March 1, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  7. ^ a b "UPDATE: Funimation Titles Now Available on Crunchyroll (5/31)". Crunchyroll. March 1, 2022. Archived from the original on March 22, 2022. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  8. ^ a b Pineda, Rafael (February 7, 2024). "Funimation App Shuts Down on April 2 as Its Accounts Merge With Crunchyroll". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  9. ^ Green, Scott (November 11, 2017). "Funimation Initial Investor Allen Cocanougher Passes Away". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on September 30, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  10. ^ Rogers, Bruce (January 14, 2019). "The Man Who Brought Anime To America: Sony Pictures Television's Funimation CEO Gen Fukunaga". Forbes. Archived from the original on September 29, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  11. ^ Jones, Terry Lee (August 9, 1995). "Japanese cartoon requires PC touch for U.S. viewers". Ft. Worth Star Telegram. Archived from the original on May 18, 2006. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  12. ^ "Interview with Gen Fukunaga, Part 1". ICv2. November 1, 2004. Archived from the original on June 8, 2019. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  13. ^ "Pioneer announces last Dragonball Z release". Anime News Network. November 14, 1998. Archived from the original on October 6, 2019. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  14. ^ Fowler, Jimmy (January 20, 2000). "International incident". Dallas Observer. Archived from the original on October 6, 2019. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  15. ^ Alverson, Brigid (September 18, 2016). "20 Years Ago, Dragon Ball Z Came to America to Stay". CBR.com. Archived from the original on October 8, 2019. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  16. ^ Watson, Elijah (March 21, 2017). "The Oral History of Cartoon Network's Toonami". Complex. Archived from the original on October 6, 2019. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  17. ^ a b Abril, Danielle (May 9, 2017). "How Gen Fukunaga Turned an Interest Into a $100M Venture". D Magazine. Archived from the original on November 28, 2020. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  18. ^
  19. ^ Loo, Egan (April 3, 2009). "Funimation Adds Toei's Air Master, Captain Harlock". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 20, 2012. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
  20. ^ Loo, Egan (October 14, 2011). "Funimation, Niconico to Jointly License Anime". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 14, 2017. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  21. ^ Sevakis, Justin (February 18, 2012). "Funimation.com to Launch Mobile Video App in March". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 11, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  22. ^ "Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on December 27, 2018. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  23. ^ "About Us: Funimation Films". Funimation Films. Archived from the original on January 24, 2016. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  24. ^ "Funimation and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment Enter Into Multi-Year Distribution Agreement" (Press release). PR Newswire. June 22, 2015. Archived from the original on June 23, 2015. Retrieved June 22, 2015.
  25. ^ Beveridge, Chris (July 17, 2015). "FUNimation Reveals (First?) October 2015 Anime Releases". The Fandom Post. Archived from the original on October 9, 2015. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
  26. ^ "Introducting The Face Of Funimation!". Funimation. January 7, 2016. Archived from the original on January 3, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  27. ^ "Introducing Funimation's New Streaming Experience - FunimationNow". Funimation. January 7, 2016. Archived from the original on January 2, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  28. ^ "Funimation Now Launches in the U.K. and Ireland". Anime News Network. April 7, 2016. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  29. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (September 8, 2016). "Crunchyroll, Funimation Announce Partnership to Share Content Via Streaming, Home Video, Est". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on September 19, 2016. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
  30. ^ McNary, Dave (May 18, 2017). "Japanese Animated Film 'In This Corner of the World' Scheduled for August Release". Variety. Archived from the original on June 19, 2017. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  31. ^ Sakoui, Anousha (May 4, 2017). "Universal and Sony Are Eyeing 'Dragon Ball' Importer Funimation". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on August 5, 2017. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  32. ^ Eggerton, John (August 22, 2017). "Feds OK Sony Purchase of Funimation". Multichannel. Archived from the original on August 9, 2020. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  33. ^ Petski, Denise (July 31, 2017). "Sony Pictures TV Networks To Acquire Majority Stake in Funimation". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 2, 2017. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  34. ^ Green, Scott (October 27, 2017). "Funimation Agrees To Be Acquired By Sony Pictures Television Networks". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on September 25, 2019. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  35. ^ Frater, Patrick (February 16, 2018). "Chinese Animation 'Big Fish & Begonia' Set for April U.S. Release". Variety. Archived from the original on April 28, 2018. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  36. ^ Griffin, David; Stevens, Colin (July 12, 2018). "Funimation Is Bringing Dragon Ball Super: Broly to North American Theaters in 2019". IGN. Archived from the original on July 29, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
  37. ^ Hipes, Patrick (August 7, 2018). "AT&T Acquires Rest Of Otter Media To Fold Into New WarnerMedia". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 17, 2018. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  38. ^ a b Ressler, Karen (October 18, 2018). "Funimation, Crunchyroll End Content-Sharing Partnership (Update)". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on October 18, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  39. ^ Martinez, Phillip (December 13, 2018). "Funimation President Gen Fukunaga on Crunchyroll Split and Why Hulu Deal 'Makes Sense'". Newsweek. Archived from the original on December 11, 2019. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
  40. ^ Spangler, Todd (December 4, 2018). "Hulu Lands Funimation First-Look Deal for Japanese Anime Series (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on March 7, 2019. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
  41. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (March 23, 2019). "Funimation, bilibili Establish Partnership for Joint Anime Licensing". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 23, 2019. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
  42. ^ Wright, Marshall (May 29, 2019). "Funimation Acquires UK Anime Distributor Manga Entertainment Limited". Funimation. Archived from the original on March 7, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  43. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (July 5, 2020). "Funimation, Right Stuf/Nozomi Ent. Announce Partnership for Anime Streaming". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on July 31, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  44. ^ Aniplex USA [@aniplexUSA] (August 31, 2019). "#NEWS: Aniplex of America in partnership with Funimation Films proudly presents Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dreaming Girl, coming to select theaters in the U.S. on October 2 and 3 and in Canada on October 4 and 5. Tickets go on sale September 6th!" (Tweet). Retrieved August 31, 2019 – via Twitter.
  45. ^ Spangler, Todd (September 24, 2019). "Sony Merges Anime Streaming Businesses Under Funimation-Led Joint Venture (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on December 20, 2019. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  46. ^ "A Decade of Anime: Your Favorites of the 2010s". Funimation. December 9, 2019. Archived from the original on March 2, 2022. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  47. ^ Morrissy, Kim (December 31, 2019). "Funimation Reveals Results of 'Decade of Anime' Fan Polls". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 2, 2022. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  48. ^ Sherman, Jennifer (January 25, 2020). "FunimationNow Streaming Content Moves to AnimeLab in Australia, New Zealand". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 24, 2020. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
  49. ^ "Join the Home Anime Club Watch-Along with Kodansha Comics and Funimation!". Funimation. May 1, 2020. Archived from the original on March 7, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  50. ^ "Toradora!, Cardcaptor Sakura and More from the NIS America Catalog Come to Funimation". Funimation. May 4, 2020. Archived from the original on March 7, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  51. ^ Hayes, Dade (July 2, 2020). "Anime Specialist Funimation Plans Fall Streaming Expansion To Mexico And Brazil". Yahoo Sports. Archived from the original on July 3, 2020. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  52. ^ Rios, Josellie (July 3, 2020). "Siempre Más Anime: Funimation Streaming Arrives in Mexico and Brazil Fall 2020". Funimation. Archived from the original on March 7, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  53. ^ Friedman, Nicholas (September 28, 2020). "Siempre Más Anime: Funimation Launches in Brazil and Mexico This December!". Funimation. Archived from the original on March 7, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  54. ^ Funimation BR [@funimation_bra] (November 18, 2020). "Queremos agradecer todo o seu apoio com a melhor notícia que poderíamos dar: nosso serviço para web está estreando antes do esperado! Convidamos você para conferir o site com um teste grátis" (Tweet) (in Portuguese). Retrieved November 19, 2020 – via Twitter.
  55. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (September 9, 2020). "Funimation Adds Terraformars, Coppelion, Gargantia, Megalobox Anime". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on September 29, 2020. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  56. ^ @loading52x (December 2, 2020). "Twittando rapidinho só pra soltar um spoiler: fechei uma super parceria com a Sony Pictures Entertainment e tô trazendo mais de 100 títulos pra vocês. Eu prometo, eu cumpro, valeu?" (Tweet) (in Portuguese). Retrieved January 14, 2021 – via Twitter.
  57. ^ @loading52x (December 7, 2020). "Loading + @funimation_bra? É real! Vou trazer cerca de 30 títulos pra vocês, além do programa Funimation TV com notícias, comentários de dublagens e novas temporadas. E aí. Gostaram?" (Tweet) (in Portuguese). Retrieved January 14, 2021 – via Twitter.
  58. ^ Mateo, Alex (November 24, 2020). "Funimation Adds Mobile Suit Gundam, Gundam Unicorn, Gundam Seed, Gundam Seed Destiny Anime". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on October 4, 2021. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  59. ^ Spangler, Todd (December 9, 2020). "AT&T to Sell Crunchyroll to Sony's Funimation for $1.175 Billion". Variety. Archived from the original on December 10, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  60. ^ "Sony's Funimation Global Group Completes Acquisition of Crunchyroll from AT&T". Sony Pictures Entertainment. August 9, 2021. Archived from the original on August 9, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
  61. ^ "Manga Entertainment Rebrands to Funimation in UK/Ireland". Anime UK News. April 12, 2021. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  62. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (June 10, 2021). "Australia, New Zealand Anime Streaming Service AnimeLab Rebrands as Funimation". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  63. ^ Friedman, Nicholas (June 17, 2021). "Funimation Launches Today in Colombia, Chile and Peru". Funimation. Archived from the original on March 7, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  64. ^ Saabedra, Humberto (September 2, 2021). "Animation Studio GONZO and Funimation Team Up To Remaster Mid-2000s Anime And Upload To YouTube". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on September 2, 2021. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  65. ^ Luster, Joseph (January 25, 2022). "Crunchyroll to Bring JUJUTSU KAISEN 0 Movie to Theaters on March 18 [UPDATED 3/11]". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  66. ^ "Your Guide to the Spring 2022 Anime Season on Crunchyroll and Funimation". Funimation. March 22, 2022. Archived from the original on July 25, 2023. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  67. ^ McLoughlin, Aleksha (May 4, 2022). "Is Funimation free? How to get the best prices online in 2023". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on June 5, 2023. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  68. ^ Roth, Emma (February 8, 2024). "Funimation is shutting down — and taking your digital library with it". The Verge. Archived from the original on February 9, 2024. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  69. ^ Harding, Scharon (February 8, 2024). "Sony is erasing digital libraries that were supposed to be accessible "forever"". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on March 11, 2024. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  70. ^ Parrish, Ash (February 26, 2024). "Funimation's solution for wiping out digital libraries could be good, if it works". The Verge. Archived from the original on March 11, 2024. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  71. ^ Rusak, Rotem (February 26, 2024). "Crunchyroll Working to Compensate Users for Digital Libraries Lost in Funimation Transition". Nerdist. Archived from the original on February 16, 2024. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  72. ^ "ADV Films launches Japanese animation network". Houston Business Journal. November 8, 2002. Archived from the original on December 1, 2020. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  73. ^ a b DeMott, Rick (September 29, 2005). "New FUNimation Channel Offers 24-hour Digital Anime Network". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on September 25, 2019. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  74. ^ Baisley, Sarah (March 23, 2006). "FUNimation Develops Anime Programming Block Distributed by OlympuSAT". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on September 30, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  75. ^ Baisley, Sarah (June 19, 2006). "FUNimation Channel Launches in Los Angeles". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on September 30, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  76. ^ "Navarre's FUNimation Entertainment Announces the Launch of the FUNimation Channel in Seattle". Mania.com. December 21, 2006. Archived from the original on January 23, 2015. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  77. ^ Loo, Egan (May 1, 2008). "CoLours TV No Longer Runs FUNimation Channel Programs". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on September 30, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  78. ^ Moody, Annemarie (May 12, 2009). "FUNimation Channel Continues Expansion". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on September 30, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  79. ^ "FUNimation Channel Launches on AT&T U-verse in HD". Funimation. September 30, 2010. Archived from the original on March 7, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  80. ^ "FUNimation Reveals Plans for New Cable Channel" (Press Release). PR Newswire. December 14, 2015. Archived from the original on December 20, 2015. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
  81. ^ Beveridge, Chris (December 8, 2015). "Funimation Channel changing its name". The Fandom Post. Archived from the original on September 25, 2019. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  82. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (December 15, 2015). "Funimation Channel to relaunch in 2016". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on September 25, 2019. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  83. ^ "FUNimation Channel Adds Anime from Central Park Media". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on February 23, 2016. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  84. ^ Loo, Egan (April 28, 2009). "Central Park Media Files for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy (Update 2)". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on July 4, 2018. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  85. ^ Loo, Egan (May 5, 2009). "ADV Adds Grave of the Fireflies, Now and Then, Here and There". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 29, 2012. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  86. ^ "Viz Media Licenses Five Top Animated Series to Funimation Channel for US Television Launch". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on February 23, 2016. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  87. ^ Loo, Egan. "Monster Anime Premieres on Syfy's Ani-Monday Tonight (Updated)". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on February 21, 2016. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  88. ^ "AN Entertainment Schedules First Haré+Guu DVD Release". Anime News Network. October 6, 2005. Archived from the original on October 11, 2021. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
  89. ^ Macdonald, Christopher (September 20, 2006). "Haré+Guu on Funimation Channel". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on August 9, 2020. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
  90. ^ "FUNimation to Air Enoki Films Series". ICv2. November 21, 2006. Archived from the original on July 6, 2020. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  91. ^ "Anime Shows & Episodes Online at Funimation". Funimation. Archived from the original on October 14, 2019. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  92. ^ a b "Where is Funimation available?". Funimation. Archived from the original on October 9, 2021. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  93. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". Wakanim. Archived from the original on December 3, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
  94. ^ "Crunchyroll - Watch Popular Anime & Read Manga Online". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on October 16, 2021. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
  95. ^ Ankers, Adele (August 3, 2021). "Crunchyroll Tops 5 Million Subscribers, 120 Million Registered Users Worldwide". IGN. Archived from the original on August 3, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  96. ^ Loo, Egan (September 23, 2008). "Hulu.com Launches Channel for Free, Legal Anime Streams (Update 2)". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 3, 2016. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
  97. ^ Rojas (April 1, 2009). "Legal Anime Watching on Veoh.com". The Funimation Update Blog. Funimation Entertainment. Archived from the original on April 4, 2009. Retrieved April 4, 2009.
  98. ^ Loo, Egan (April 2, 2009). "Funimation Adds More Anime to Veoh Video Website". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 3, 2009. Retrieved April 4, 2009.
  99. ^ Sevakis, Justin (February 6, 2012). "Crackle Service Streams Funimation Anime on Xbox Live". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 11, 2012. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
  100. ^ Loo, Egan (June 20, 2014). "Funimation's Xbox 360 Streaming App Now Available for Download". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 30, 2014. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  101. ^ Loveridge, Lynzee (December 25, 2014). "Funimation App Launches on PlayStation 3". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 30, 2014. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  102. ^ "Unleash Your Anime Experience with FUNimation's New PS4 App!". Funimation. March 31, 2015. Archived from the original on March 7, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  103. ^ Ressler, Karen (July 10, 2015). "Funimation App Launches on Xbox One". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on July 11, 2015. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  104. ^ "Funimation Becomes First Anime App on Nintendo Switch, All-New Design Debuts". Funimation. December 14, 2020. Archived from the original on March 7, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  105. ^ Bertschy, Zac (October 2, 2015). "ANNCast – A Funi Feeling". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 21, 2016. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
  106. ^ Loveridge, Lynzee (October 29, 2014). "Funimation Dubs Psycho-Pass 2, Laughing Under the Clouds Anime as They Air in Japan". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 13, 2017. Retrieved December 30, 2016.
  107. ^ "Update: Spring 2020 Simulcasts On-Track; SimulDub Delays". Funimation. March 18, 2020. Archived from the original on January 16, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  108. ^ "My Hero Academia SimulDub Returns—From Home!". Funimation. April 10, 2020. Archived from the original on January 16, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  109. ^ "Dub From Home: The Latest News on SimulDubs". Funimation. April 25, 2020. Archived from the original on February 16, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  110. ^ Dempsey, Liam (December 22, 2022). "Tomo-chan is a Girl! English Dub Reveals Main Cast, Same-Day Release". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on January 22, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  111. ^ "Watch Anime Apps – Funimation". Funimation. Archived from the original on September 20, 2020. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
edit