Jan 13, 2021
Crunchyroll started as an illegal streaming site where fans could upload their fansubs of their favorite anime series - and a Starcraft vid or two - but now it's an anime platform worth over a billion dollars. In the wake of the announcement that Funimation owner, Sony would be buying Crunchyroll and the internet's communal "anime is worth how much?," we dig into the history of Crunchyroll. We talk about how its model and acquisition of simuldubs of Naruto from TV Tokyo pushed the industry to innovate digital platforms, expanded the kinds of anime available in the United States, and ultimately created the current anime streaming landscape that we know today.
This episode is sponsored by MANSCAPED.com, use code BUTWHYTHO at check out for free shipping and 20% off.