Crunchyroll, the Japanese animation streaming specialist recently bought by Sony is adapting its formula.
In a blog post published on Friday, the company announced that it was "
modifying
" the list of content accessible via its free offer with advertising (AVOD).
Until now, the series broadcast in "
simulcast
" (ie at the same time as in Japan) could be viewed without a subscription one week after their first publication.
You will now have to proceed to checkout.
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“
To view new and ongoing simulcasts, a premium monthly or yearly subscription will be required
,” says Crunchyroll.
However, all users will still be able to watch episodes previously added to the platform for free.
Capture new subscribers
The choice of a passage of the “
simulcast
” from free to paid is not insignificant.
It is one of the products with the highest audience.
The market leader therefore hopes to convince its potential customers to take the plunge and join the ranks of its 5 million paying subscribers.
A bet that is not without risk, the platform's decision could send part of its audience to the pirate broadcasters that abound on the net.
On social networks, the negative reaction of users was immediate.
Broadcasting at the same time as in Japan remains the main argument for services specializing in animation.
Their market has been nibbled away for a few years by Netflix, Disney+ and even Amazon, which are buying blockbusters of the genre en masse to supply their catalogs.
But the tenors refuse - for the moment - to invest in the "
simulcast
", an expensive exercise which requires specific skills.
