Sony’s global anime streaming service, Crunchyroll, has surpassed 15 million monthly paid subscribers, according to the company’s latest quarterly earnings report.
To put the niche SVOD's accomplishment in proper context, the much broader reaching Starz finished 2023 with 15.88 million subscribers.
A swell in paid subscribers contributed to a $166 million increase in sales for Sony’s picture department, according to the company’s financials.
That was despite a decrease in both Sony’s theatrical releases and series delivered in television productions.
“Today marks an exciting milestone not only for Crunchyroll, but for the entire anime industry,” said Rahul Purini, pdresident of Crunchyroll in a statement. “It is proof that the rich stories, characters and experiences that our partners create are resonating deeply with fans at record numbers all over the world.”
Currently, the streaming service has the largest global library dedicated to anime, with more than 25,000 hours of content across 50,000 episodes.
The Crunchyroll library includes anime IP such as One Piece, based on the same manga that Netflix adapted last August to critical live-action success.
The news comes just weeks after Crunchyroll updated its branding, introducing a new logo with an eye symbol, a modernized font set and a vibrant theme featuring orange, black and white.
Last year, the streaming service also partnered with Sony Music Entertainment Japan to bring anime-related music videos and concerts to the platform.
Since then, Crunchyroll has featured over 3,300 music-related broadcasts.
Overall, Sony reported a 10% increase in operating profit.
