Crunchyroll, Viz Media Announce Home Video Distribution Partnership

While the fusion dance isn't real in our world, a partnership between companies has gotta be the [...]

By Evan Valentine

While the fusion dance isn't real in our world, a partnership between companies has gotta be the next big thing right? The king of the anime streaming services, Crunchyroll, and Viz Media, which has published more manga titles than we can count, are partnering up to help distribute even more anime your way. We go into the details and news that have been unveiled so far and what we can expect from this unique partnership moving forward for both companies.

Entertainment outlet The Wrap announced the partnership between these two titans of anime, breaking down what fans can expect:

Sae Whan Song, current business development head for Crunchyroll, broke down the partnership and what it will provide for both companies:

"VIZ Media, in partnership with Warner Home Entertainment, is responsible for distributing some of the biggest titles in anime. This partnership will ensure maximum exposure and monetization for our content partners' IPs and empower us to super-serve anime fans across North America. We're looking forward to working with VIZ Media to broaden our distribution and to offer our fans another way to enjoy their favorite series."

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(Photo: Viz Media & Crunchyroll)

Brian Ige, current SVP of animation at Viz Media, also added his thoughts on "joining forces" with the anime titan in Crunchyroll:

"With Crunchyroll's expansive catalog of anime in every genre and VIZ Media's demonstrated success in sales and distribution, we're excited to join forces to deliver the best titles to viewers any way they want to view it."

The partnership itself will allow series specifically made through Crunchyroll to be distributed by Viz Media within the United States and Canada. Though the specific series and dates for their release have yet to be revealed, we're sure that we'll be getting more news about this union as time moves on.

Crunchyroll was originally founded in 2006, growing to have over 900 anime titles in its catalogue, as well as over 50 million members in its online community. The streaming service has long been considered the best place online to stream anime series and this summer, with new series already announced to be dropping, that streak should continue.

Viz Media was originally founded long before Crunchyroll, with the company forming in 1986. The company distributes both anime and manga, bringing a number of popular franchises to fans who would have otherwise not been able to experience certain stories.

What do you think of the news of Crunchyroll and Viz Media uniting? What do you hope to see come about from this partnership? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime!

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