If you’re taking a flight soon, you may be able to watch your favorite anime shows! Crunchyroll, one of the largest curated anime streaming services worldwide, announced a partnership with Delta Air Lines to deliver its selection of anime to Delta’s in-flight entertainment. Delta Air Lines is one of the major airlines operating in the United States, with thousands of daily flights to over 50 different countries. Nearly every Delta seat contains a screen for passengers to watch a variety of programs, usually curated by streaming services or major motion picture studios.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Crunchyroll will be incorporated onto more than 169,000 Delta seatback screens later in the year, the most of any U.S.-based carrier. Furthermore, Crunchyroll will also be available for Delta’s SkyMiles Members through the Delta Sync Wi-Fi experience. SkyMiles Members will also receive an exclusive 24-hour free trial for Crunchyroll if they log in to the Delta Sync Wi-Fi on their devices. Crunchyroll also promises a first-of-its-kind curated experience available exclusively on Delta. More info on the collaboration will be unveiled at a later date. Crunchyroll has reported having over 25,000 hours of content for people to enjoy, comprising over 50,000 episodes and films from the biggest anime franchises globally.
Why The Crunchyroll and Delta Collab Is a Big Deal
The Crunchyroll and Delta collaboration was a long time in the making. Traditionally, United States flights would contain some of the biggest films or television shows to watch on backseat screens. Usually, these films are the big blockbusters or whatever is available on the streaming service with which the airlines made a deal. Some anime series and movies will make it to planes, especially if it was something that received a wide release or were included on another streaming platform. However, most US flights didn’t have an anime-curated selection before this collaboration.
The new Crunchyroll and Delta partnership is groundbreaking, as thousands of US flights will gain anime-based content for fans to watch during travel. This deal is part of the growing recognition by the biggest companies of the inherent value of the anime medium. Anime is set to become more mainstream in the States and other parts of the world, with 2025 predicted to be the biggest year for anime yet. Anime properties like One Piece have already made deals with major US sports teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers, for cross-promotions. Anime is one of the most-watched media on streaming services, including Netflix. Iconic anime characters like Goku and Luffy are part of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade.
With so many people watching anime, it makes sense for airlines to offer content that caters exclusively to anime. The Crunchyroll and Delta partnership now makes anime more readily available, allowing a larger audience to watch more anime than they may have before. Sony Pictures Entertainment purchased Crunchyroll in 2021 and merged it with Funimation to combine their catalogue of anime. Solo Leveling is currently one of the biggest anime series streaming on Crunchyroll, and fans may be able to finally watch it on their next Delta Air Lines flight.
Most Viewed
-
image courtesy of Netflix -
Toei Animation
