WarnerMedia Looking To Sell Anime Service Crunchyroll For Reported

WarnerMedia is apparently putting Japanese anime hub Crunchyroll on the auction block -- with Sony emerging as an interested suitor.  The Hollywood Reporter reports that despite achieving relative success as a niche service -- to the tune of 3 million Crunchyroll subscribers -- WarnerMedia’s parent company AT&T is looking to further reduce its $200 billion debt load. Accordingly, newly-installed WarnerMedia chief Jason Kilar is looking to sell any assets -- including 14-year-old Crunchyroll -- that aren’t central to its entertainment business, which includes flagship streaming service HBO Max. (Crunchyroll touts a presence on HBO Max with curated programming -- in addition to its standalone service, with pricing starting at $8 per month).  If Sony were to go forward with the purchase, Crunchyroll would presumably amplify its existing anime service, Funimation, which dubs and distributes Japanese anime. That said, Sony reportedly offered less than WarnerMedia’s $1.5 billion asking price for Crunchyroll, per The Information, which first reported the talks.

Sony bets big on Crunchyroll as global anime audience grows - Los Angeles Times

Crunchyroll - Wikipedia

Sony's Purchase Of Crunchyroll Reportedly Delayed, Facing Uncertainty

The Crunchyroll-Funimation merger is proof that niche video is hard - Protocol

Crunchyroll and Toonami Team Up for New Adult Swim Anime Debut - IGN

WarnerMedia Shopping Crunchyroll Sale – The Hollywood Reporter

AT&T Reportedly Trying to Sell Crunchy Roll to Sony for a Whopping $1.5 Billion – The Cultured Nerd

Report: AT&T Confirms Sale Of Crunchyroll To Sony's Funimation for $1.17 Billion - Bounding Into Comics

Crunchyroll adds offline viewing, new service tiers for 'Mega Fans

How Crunchyroll Is Building An Empire Of Anime

AT&T Seeks to Sell Crunchyroll to Sony for $1.5 Billion (Report)

Funimation purchases Crunchyroll for $1.2 Billion - Good e-Reader

Sony to Buy AT&T's Crunchyroll Service for More Than $1 Billion - WSJ

Sony completes acquisition of Crunchyroll from AT&T - The Verge

Sony bets big on Crunchyroll as global anime audience grows, Features