HBO Max Set to Lose Crunchyroll Next Year

By Evan Valentine

Since HBO Max first hit the streaming service wars, it has compiled the library of animation from across the spectrum of Warner Bros' library and beyond, with Crunchyroll entering a partnership to share its series with the former. In 2022 however, it seems that the Crunchyroll branding is set to leave HBO Max, and while the anime series appear to not be going anywhere any time soon, it seems like some of the biggest anime series on the platform might not be on the streaming service if they follow suit with Crunchyroll's logo. 

So what does this mean in terms of the anime that will still be available on HBO Max? Well for the time being it still seems that HBO Max will give its subscribers access to the anime television series that it garnered from Crunchyroll, though the branding of the anime streaming service will be removed according to the streaming platform's website. With Crunchyroll being bought by Sony Entertainment and being merged with Funimation, it hasn't been confirmed that this HBO Max change is a result of said merger, though it certainly seems like that could be the case as the acquisition was completed earlier this summer.

Twitter User Animation on HBO Max spotted the note that the streaming service was set to switch the Crunchyroll animation branding on its platform, instead taking the entries from Crunchyroll and placing them under its "global animation page," at the beginning of next year:

Previously, HBO Max Chief Content Office Kevin Reilly dove into the decision for HBO Max and Crunchyroll to join forces on Indiewire, with the former gaining a large number of titles from the latter's library:

"Anime is a celebrated, diverse art form with a rich culture rooted in imaginative worlds and vibrant characters. Crunchyroll has centralized these fantastic adventures for everyone to enjoy. This WarnerMedia family collaboration is bringing together an incredible collection of content with a passionate fandom and HBO Max is very happy to expand the reach of this inventive artistry."

Currently, a few of the biggest anime series available on HBO Max via Crunchyroll include Jujutsu Kaisen, Berserk, Hunter x Hunter, Dr. Stone, The Promised Neverland, and many others. 

Do you think that some of the anime on HBO Max will leave the streaming service next year? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of streaming services. 

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