Crunchyroll, the popular anime streaming service owned by Sony, is set to make its debut in Australia as an add-on to the Prime Video platform. This move will give Australian anime fans access to Crunchyroll’s extensive library of content, which includes over 24,000 hours of anime, 46,000 episodes, and more than 1,300 series and films.
The service will be offered at two membership tiers: Fan-level for AUD $10.99 or Mega Fan for AUD $13.99. Both tiers will allow subscribers to stream Crunchyroll’s entire library ad-free, with new episodes available shortly after their release in Japan. Mega Fan subscribers will also have the option to download titles for offline viewing.
Terry Li, the EVP of emerging business at Crunchyroll, expressed excitement about the expansion of the Prime Video partnership, stating that it will allow more fans worldwide to explore the captivating worlds of anime. Crunchyroll was acquired by Sony in 2021 and subsequently merged with Funimation, but the Crunchyroll brand name was retained. The company is now a joint venture between Sony Pictures Entertainment and Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc.
The expansion into Australia is part of Crunchyroll’s efforts to localize content strategies and customer offerings in various territories, following successful operations in countries like India. Daniel Slepak, head of marketplace for Prime Video in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, highlighted the popularity of anime in Australia and expressed pride in adding Crunchyroll as an add-on subscription option to Prime Video. Crunchyroll is the 21st add-on package available on Prime Video in Australia.
In October, Crunchyroll will introduce 40 new anime titles to its lineup, including highly anticipated series like “Dragon Ball DAIMA,” “BLUE LOCK Season 2,” “Shangri-La Frontier Season 2,” and “Re:ZERO – Starting Life in Another World Season 3.” With this expansion, Australian anime fans can look forward to a diverse range of content and an enhanced viewing experience through Prime Video’s growing list of subscriptions.
