Funimation (Crunchyroll)

Overview

Funimation is a Dallas-based anime distribution company founded in 1994 that became the dominant English-language anime licensor and distributor in the United States. In 2021 it was acquired by Sony Pictures, which also owns Crunchyroll (the leading anime streaming platform), and the two brands have been progressively merged into a unified Crunchyroll operation under Sony Pictures Entertainment. The combined entity represents the largest anime distribution company in the English-speaking world.

Funimation built its position through exclusive licensing agreements with major Japanese anime studios and producers, acquiring English-language distribution rights for SVOD streaming, theatrical release, home entertainment, and television broadcast across the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland, and other English-speaking markets. The company's library spans thousands of anime series and films.

Theatrical Distribution

Funimation/Crunchyroll operates one of the largest theatrical anime distribution programs in the Western world, releasing major anime theatrical films including Dragon Ball Super: Broly, My Hero Academia theatrical editions, and films from other major franchises in hundreds of theatres across the US, UK, Australia, and Canada. These theatrical events generate significant box office revenue from dedicated anime fans attending event screenings.

For anime theatrical releases, Funimation/Crunchyroll's theatrical distribution infrastructure provides access to multiplex and arthouse venues across the English-speaking world simultaneously, a capacity no other anime distributor can match.

Crunchyroll Streaming

Crunchyroll is the world's largest anime streaming platform with over 10 million subscribers globally. Following the Sony merger with Funimation's rights, Crunchyroll operates as the primary streaming home for Funimation's catalog alongside its own acquisitions. The combined platform is available in over 200 countries and territories.

For anime producers and Japanese studios, Crunchyroll/Funimation represents the most significant English-language licensing partner -- a deal with this entity provides global streaming reach and theatrical distribution capacity across English-speaking markets simultaneously.

What Filmmakers Should Know

For anime producers seeking English-language distribution, Funimation/Crunchyroll is the primary global licensing target. The company's consolidated position following the Sony/Crunchyroll merger means most English-language anime streaming rights for major productions will be negotiated with a single entity.

For non-anime producers and filmmakers, Funimation/Crunchyroll is not a relevant acquisition target -- the company distributes Japanese animation exclusively. Understanding its scale is useful context for how the global anime market operates and how streaming platforms have consolidated distribution power in specific content categories.

See Also

For how anime theatrical distribution compares to conventional theatrical distribution, see Streaming vs Theatrical Revenue. For the UK anime home entertainment and theatrical market, see Anime Limited in this directory.