Funimation is one of the OG streaming platforms that has been serving anime fans worldwide for years. As everyone is aware, the platform is a one stop destination if you are an anime dub lover. Unfortunately, it's all coming to an end, as Funimation is headed for a permanent shutdown soon due to its merger with Crunchyroll under Sony's management. In the midst of this, Crunchyroll has added fuel to the fire by not providing support for Funimation's users' digital library.
RIP Funimation! RIP to your digital anime library?!
In March 2022, Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. acquired Crunchyroll, which is also the parent company of Funimation. With Crunchyroll's brand recognition off the charts, Sony decided to merge Funimation with the former. This merger process has been going on since 2022, as they have slowly moved over 80% of Funimation's content to Crunchyroll.
Now, in 2024, the merger has been completed, and they don't need to run two identical anime streaming services. Therefore, they have decided to pull the plug on Funimation and deliver their top services on the unified platform Crunchyroll. As a result, Funimation will be taken down permanently on April 2, 2024.
Although the above merger sounded like a success, this transition led to outrage among subscribers as they were met with ridiculous demands and messages. The first is the massive increase in annual package subscription prices, starting early next year. The price will increase by a whopping 82%, from $54.95 per year to $99.99 per year, which seems to fall in line with Crunchyroll's Mega Fan plan. RIP Funimation pic.twitter.com/LwlFQSEpRe — Gregory Guillen (@Pikagreg) February 7, 2024
