Cinedigm’s RetroCrush, a streaming linear channel dedicated to classic anime, joins Sling TV’s slate of now 14 Cinedigm free live TV channels.
RetroCrush touts over 100 anime TV series and 40 movies, with options to watch in English dubbed or in Japanese with English subtitles. As a standalone offering RetroCrush also has a premium ad-free subscription, which costs either $4.99 per month or $49.99 annually. For Sling users, the channel is available on the free tier.
Anime is gaining momentum in the streaming industry, with apps like Crunchyroll and Funimation (which are being consolidated into one service) considered to be “must-have” services, per data from Hub Entertainment Research.
“The expansion of our partnership with Sling TV embraces Cinedigm’s mission to bring its channels to the widest enthusiast audiences possible,” stated John Stack, senior director of business development at Cinedigm. “In turn, Sling will provide the opportunity for a passionate fan base to immerse itself in best-in-breed classic anime content it won’t find elsewhere with the addition of RetroCrush.”
Other Cinedigm channels available on Sling include horror-oriented Bloody Disgusting TV; The Bob Ross Channel, featuring “The Joy of Painting;” Comedy Dynamics, which showcases stand-up comedy; and The Elvis Presley Channel – which premiered in June on seven streaming platforms.
RetroCrush is one of numerous Cinedigm channels included in Cineverse – Cinedigm’s flagship ad-supported streaming service that just debuted on September 15.
Initially announced in July, Cineverse features free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels and over 15,000 titles of on-demand TV shows and movies, with a mix of Cinedigm-owned and third-party content.
The app is free to use with no registration required, though Cinedigm said it plans to release a premium, ad-free tier sometime this fall. Virtual MVPD Vidgo announced last month a Cineverse bundle would be available at no additional cost to Vidgo subscribers – making it the first vMVPD to distribute the AVOD service.
Cineverse is also currently available on iOS, Android, Roku and via desktop.
As for Sling TV, this summer it added Discovery+ as a premium add-on, along with TelevisaUnivision’s ViX+, available as a standalone service through the Sling TV app.
Sling last weekend found itself in the middle of a carriage dispute between Disney and Dish Network – with millions of Sling TV and Dish TV customers abruptly losing access to Disney-owned networks like ESPN and ABC. The companies reached an interim deal on Sunday evening, with no word yet as to when they’ll finalize a new agreement.