Crunchyroll X FUNimation Partnership To End Next Month

In some rather serious, and potentially disappointing, news Crunchyroll have announced that the Crunchyroll X FUNimation partnership will come to a close on the 9th November 2018.

This partnership, which began two years ago, saw Crunchyroll allowed to distribute / broadcast FUNimation related titles while FUNimation were allowed to broadcast English Dubbed episodes of Crunchyroll titles onto FUNimations streaming platform FUNimation NOW. This partnership also allowed Crunchyroll & FUNimation to work together in releasing Blu-Ray & DVD Combo Pack Sets within North America; most of which were also Region B compatible due to being available for streaming outside of North America and some of these releases we later made available in the UK via Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

Basically what this means is that, after 9th November 2018, the platforms will return to how they were before; but Crunchyroll have expressed that some titles will eventually return to the platform. A statement about this partnership was posted onto the official Crunchyroll forums and can be found below:

Dear CR users,

As many of you know, we have had an ongoing partnership with Funimation the last two years, sharing anime between users. Unfortunately, Funimation has decided to go their separate way, and this partnership will be winding down on Friday, November 9th.

For our Crunchyroll community, this means that you’ll still be able to access the biggest anime library in the world. However, a list of select catalog titles licensed via Funimation will be leaving Crunchyroll – likewise, the Funimation catalog will also be impacted. That list is currently being finalized between both parties, and we will share impacted titles with you as available. Currently-airing simulcasts and series that premiered during the partnership will continue to be available on Crunchyroll, including favorites like Attack on Titan and My Hero Academia. Additionally, all home video releases will be released as scheduled and all pre-orders will be fulfilled.

As demonstrated by our record year of anime announcements, Crunchyroll is more committed than ever to bringing you the best and latest series from Japan, as well as expanding our catalog of classics. We’ve just launched a strong fall season — with the likes of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, and Sword Art Online Alicization — and plan to bring much more anime to you in the future.

Thank you for your continued support. We’re honored to be your favorite source for anime and will continue to do our best in delivering you your favorite series at the speed of Japan.

Sincerely,
The Crunchyroll Team

Crunchyroll is a video-on-demand subscription based platform with a strong catalog of anime titles available in multiple-languages. Majority of the content is available to view for free while premium members can watch in High Definition without adverts. FUNimation meanwhile is a North American publisher/distributor of anime and is also a Sony owned company.

What exactly could this partnership ending for us in the UK? Well that remains to be seen; but it could open up the possibility of Crunchyroll related titles being picked up by distributors other than Sony Picures Home Entertainment. Only time will tell; but it is an interesting announcement.