On Tuesday, October 29, 2024, Crunchyroll announced plans to introduce and distribute over 40 anime titles, including fan favorites like One Piece and Dragon Ball Daima, through YouTube Primetime Channels. This new service is set to launch by the end of 2024 in several regions, including the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Australia.
So far, Crunchyroll has disclosed five of the anime that will be part of its offering: One Piece, Dragon Ball Daima, Blue Lock, Re:ZERO, and the second season of Shangri-La Frontier. The Primetime Channels will enable users to subscribe and view content from different streaming platforms directly via YouTube.
Crunchyroll’s YouTube Primetime Channel to feature One Piece, Dragon Ball Daima, and other major titles upon launch
At the time of this report, additional details regarding the Crunchyroll YouTube Primetime Channel remain limited. This includes information on subscription pricing and a complete list of other anime titles that will be available, beyond those already announced. However, given the popularity of initial titles like One Piece and Dragon Ball Daima, it is anticipated that the overall selection will feature prominent series.
This development follows Crunchyroll’s recent expansion to other platforms, including its offerings on Amazon’s Prime Video channels. The Fan and Mega Fan subscription tiers are accessible through this service in various regions, such as the United States, Canada, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
Furthermore, Crunchyroll partnered with Sony Pictures Entertainment’s GSN (Game Show Network) to establish a 24/7 linear channel on platforms like Amazon Freevee, LG Channels, Roku Channel, and Vizio WatchFree+. This initiative commenced in October 2023, with several series available at launch, including Horimiya, Ranking of Kings, Code Geass, To Your Eternity, and others.
In August 2022, Crunchyroll took a significant step by acquiring Right Stuf to enhance its ecommerce capabilities. The Right Stuf store was subsequently closed and all products were integrated into Crunchyroll’s online marketplace as of October 2023. The company, which had previously been acquired by Sony’s Funimation Global Group from AT&T in December 2020, saw its purchase finalized in August 2021 with a total expenditure of US$1.175 billion paid in cash, resulting in the retirement of the Funimation brand.
Dragon Ball Daima is an ongoing anime series based on the beloved Dragon Ball franchise created by Akira Toriyama. Toriyama passed away in March 2024, making Daima the last project in which he played a significant role. On the other hand, One Piece is an adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s renowned manga, currently on hiatus but expected to resume airing in April 2025.
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