We Have Questions Regarding The Sony Pictures Television Acquisition Of Funimation
What the hell is going on here?
Funimation has been acquired by Sony Pictures Television for $150 million as per Variety. Yet, we still can’t get the latest episode of Seven Mortal Sins, but this deal could apparently help Funimation take advantage of Sony’s Japanese pipeline for potential release here in America…English dubbed and all.
Our Take
This new acquisition could have ripple effects like crazy. For starters, Sony’s Crackle could very well be getting out of the anime business as a result of having both the free streaming service and Funimation would be counterproductive. Also, could this new business endeavor have an effect on the partnership with the Crunchyroll service? Would major Funimation licenses like Attack on Titan and others get new season premieres on other networks opposite Adult Swim?
In the meantime, keep checking back over the next few weeks as we get into the heavy in recapping a bunch of new premieres for the Funimation streaming service.
Update 8/1: Funimation has since added a Q&A that answers some of these questions.
There's got to be some kind of twist that's going to happen with this. I don't know if they're setting up an April Fool's joke now or what's going on, but it seems too strange that they'd suddenly reverse on doing a fourth and fifth season after the show was already renewed and they were even just talking about working on those seasons like a couple months ago or something. Or maybe the two episodes yet to release will secretly somehow each be like a "season" in themselves?