Crunchyroll has become a favorite for anime fans, but it’s just announced a price hike for its subscriptions—rising by as much as 20%. This marks a significant increase over the past six years.
In 2020, Sony acquired Crunchyroll from AT&T. At that time, the platform had 3 million paid subscribers and a staggering 197 million users on free accounts. These free accounts allowed limited access to titles, often with ads. The subscription options ranged from $8 to $15 a month.
Since Sony’s takeover, changes have sparked mixed reactions among fans. Notably, they merged Crunchyroll with Funimation and shut down Funimation in April 2024. Many users were unhappy when Sony erased their digital libraries, which were once promised to be available “forever.” In 2022, they also reduced the number of free titles and plan to eliminate the free option entirely by December 31, 2025.
Here’s how the new subscription prices look: the Fan plan increased from $8 to $10, the Mega plan jumped from $12 to $14, and the Ultra plan rose from $16 to $18. Current subscribers will see these changes reflected after March 4, while new customers will pay the higher rates immediately. This follows a price increase in May 2024, when the Mega tier rose from $10 to $12.
Despite the backlash, Crunchyroll claims these price increases will allow them to enhance user experience. They pointed to upcoming features, such as teen profiles, PIN protection, and the ability to skip intro and ending credits. They’re also improving device compatibility to meet increasing demand.
According to a recent survey by Statista, streaming services have seen a 25% increase in prices over the last four years, reflecting a broader trend in the industry. Fans are raising concerns on social media about affordability, especially since many platforms are raising their fees. The sentiment appears to be that while everyone loves content, no one wants to pay more for it.
As Crunchyroll looks to the future, it faces the challenge of balancing user satisfaction with business needs. It remains to be seen if these changes will lead to happier customers or further push them away.
