Sony to Establish Crunchyroll as a PlayStation Exclusive Streaming Platform?

Recent reports suggest that Sony is the frontrunner in the line to acquire Crunchyroll in a deal that could see the company spend over $950 million. Moreover, this acquisition will enable Sony to access over seventy million members from around the world.

This news doesn’t come as a surprise, as Sony recently obtained an exclusive right to negotiate for Crunchyroll. If this deal falls through, Sony would find itself amongst the likes of Netflix and Hulu as competition for content would intensify.

In addition, this could be the Japanese icon’s response to Microsoft’s acquisition of Bethesda. If this deal goes through, Sony might establish Crunchyroll as an exclusive streaming platform for PlayStation patrons.

Sony in talks to make a hefty investment

The Japanese giant already has its own anime, “Demon Slayer”, that it outsources to other streaming platforms. It previously acquired Funimation back in 2017, gaining subscribers, but failed to expand the member base.

Moreover, the ongoing pandemic has raised content related expectations. The previous few months have seen an increase in the formation of alliances to create content for the users.

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Crunchyroll has over seventy million free members and over three million paid subscribers in over two hundred countries and regions. This acquisition also gives Sony access to over a thousand titles that it can offer to its users.

Both Sony and Microsoft are doing their best to capture potential markets. Microsoft acquired Bethesda in order to get access to a wide range of third party titles, These titles will make their way to the Game Pass that Microsoft has been marketing because of a lack of exclusives.

The PlayStation already has a long list of titles waiting to walk the ramp. This deal could see it establishing a niche for itself in the video distribution services. It is unclear what the Japanese icon has in mind. But with how things have transpired, it will function as good news for the PlayStation ecosystem.