Crunchyroll, an anime streaming service recently sold by AT&T to Sony, said it surpassed the four million subscriber milestone in January.
The new total is coming just six months after Crunchyroll – which counts more than 100 million registered users – broke the three million subscriber mark. The news accompanied Crunchyroll’s announcement about a partnership with Idris and Sabrina Elba, in conjunction with Idris’ Green Door Pictures and Sabrina’s Pink Towel Pictures, to develop a new animated series for the service.
“For more than a decade, through anime and anime-inspired Originals, Crunchyroll has been leading the charge for the popularization of adult dramatic animation and we are fast becoming the epicenter for the next generation of animation fans, as is evidenced by our incredible growth in registered users and subscribers” said Joanne Waage, general manager at Crunchyroll, in a statement. “Gens Y and Z have experienced superhero fatigue and are hungry for the new stories and ideas that our creators tell. This development deal with Sabrina and Idris Elba is another example of how we’re working with best-in-class partners to bring in new audiences and tell fresh and compelling stories through a medium that transcends genres and generations.”
RELATED: AT&T sells Crunchyroll to Sony for $1.175B
In December, AT&T announced a deal to sell Crunchyroll to Sony Pictures Entertainment for $1.175 billion. The service will combine with Funimation, a joint venture between Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. and Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) subsidiary Aniplex.
“Together with Crunchyroll, we will create the best possible experience for fans and greater opportunity for creators, producers and publishers in Japan and elsewhere. Funimation has been doing this for over 25 years and we look forward to continuing to leverage the power of creativity and technology to succeed in this rapidly growing segment of entertainment,” said Tony Vinciquerra, chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment, in a statement.
The companies did not say when they expected the cash deal to close. The final agreed upon price for Crunchyroll is less than what AT&T was reportedly asking. In August, The Information reported that AT&T wanted $1.5 billion but that Sony was pushing back against such a high price for a “niche” streaming service.