Sony Aiming to Buy Crunchyroll for Almost $1 Billion

Sony has reportedly entered into "final negotiations" with AT&T to acquire the US-based anime streaming service Crunchyroll. According to Nikkei Asia, Sony recently obtained exclusive rights to bid for the hugely-popular streaming service and is now prepared to pay upwards of $957 million to acquire the platform, which has 70 million free members and 3 million paying subscribers signed up globally. As part of the deal, it is reported that Crunchyroll would also give Sony access to more than 1,000 anime titles. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/25/top-10-best-anime-series-of-all-time"] Sony previously acquired anime distributor Funimation and its one million subscribers back in 2017. However, the company is said to now be looking to expand its customer base further by strengthening its entertainment offering to better compete with the likes of Netflix, Hulu, and other global streaming services that are currently dominating the market. Sony isn't the only company looking to invest more in anime content. Netflix recently unveiled its plans to produce more anime titles after noting an exceptional uptake in anime streaming on the platform. According to statistics, over 100 million global households watched at least one anime title on Netflix between October of last year and September of this year. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=must-watch-horror-anime&captions=true"] If the Sony acquisition is realized, then the global competition for content is likely to heat up and intensify, with streaming companies battling to license popular movies and shows. It's possible that Sony could even consider merging Crunchyroll with Funimation, which is the licensee of several anime properties in the US, including Attack on Titan and One Piece. With an abundance of streaming providers, including the ever-growing Disney+ and Apple TV+ platforms, all competing for your hard-earned cash, it can be difficult to pinpoint which streaming service is the best choice for you. Fortunately, we've put together a detailed review of why we think Crunchyroll is the best streaming service to watch anime. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

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