Crunchyroll recently confirmed that Ellation's VRV bundle streaming service was included in Sony's acquisition of the anime-focused company, which was finalized last week.
Launched in 2016, the VRV subscription bundle includes Crunchyroll and several other streaming services, including Cartoon Hangover, Rooster Teeth, and Mondo. Anime News Network reported that the service also included Funimation until November 2018, when Crunchyroll and FUNimation Entertainment announced they had ended their content-sharing partnership. VRV also added the HIDIVE streaming service's content at that time.
As previously reported, Sony Pictures Entertainment and AT&T announced on Aug. 9 that Sony's Funimation Global Group had completed its acquisition of Crunchyroll for a purchase price of $1.175 billion.
Kenichiro Yoshida, chairman, president and CEO of the Sony Group Corporation, said at the time, "We are very excited to welcome Crunchyroll to the Sony Group. Anime is a rapidly growing medium that enthralls and inspires emotion among audiences around the globe. The alignment of Crunchyroll and Funimation will enable us to get even closer to the creators and fans who are the heart of the anime community. We look forward to delivering even more outstanding entertainment that fills the world with emotion through anime."
Ahead of the acquisition being finalized, Crunchyroll revealed what new content subscribers can expect at the annual Crunchyroll Expo in early August. In addition to debuting the new opening sequence to the highly anticipated Blade Runner: Black Lotus, the Expo featured a panel by the show's directors, Shinji Aramaki and Kenji Kamiyama. Crunchyroll has also debuted a new trailer for its upcoming original series, High Guardian Spice, and a new clip from the soon-to-be-released Fena: Pirate Princess.
It was previously revealed that Crunchyroll is also developing a new series called Dark Star Squadron with Zoe Saldana's Cinestar Pictures production company. That series is being penned by Voltron: Legendary Defender's Todd Ludy and will feature Saldana as an executive producer.
Crunchyroll currently boasts more than 5 million paid subscribers and 120 million registered users overall.
Source: Anime News Network
