With its streaming platform Crunchyroll, Sony would have long had the opportunity to secure an almost monopoly position in the anime market – but so far this has not happened. Now an industry expert explains the possible reasons.
More reach for anime
An analyst at the international investment bank Goldman Sachs suspects that Sony is not primarily aiming to offer anime content exclusively through Crunchyroll. Instead, the company seems to be pursuing the plan to reach as many people as possible worldwide and thus expand the entire anime ecosystem.
Sony is therefore consciously avoiding creating a monopoly – even if the conditions for this are met – in the hope that a broader market distribution will generate more sales in the industry in the long term.
Sony CEO Ravi Ahuja had also indicated in the past that other streaming platforms such as Netflix were not necessarily seen as competition, but rather as an opportunity to attract fans to Crunchyroll:
»Of course, anime is also available on other video-on-demand services. Hulu has anime, Netflix has anime, and that’s great because in our experience, people learn about anime there and then come to Crunchyroll.”
TOHO intensifies efforts
Ultimately, a monopoly would be neither in the interests of other companies nor the fans, as only functioning competition can keep the industry stable in the long term. Several anime publishers are now increasing their activities in this area.
Industry observers see TOHO in particular as a potentially important player in international anime distribution in the coming years. With the acquisition of GKIDS, the company has added one of the largest US film and series distributors to its portfolio.
After Crunchyroll was able to benefit from exclusive first-party rights to many TOHO productions for a long time, TOHO itself now appears to be pursuing a broader strategy for the streaming market in North America.
Keiji Ota, head of anime at TOHO, said: »Content cannot spread if it is monopolized by a single provider and made available only to its subscribers.«
In conclusion, Crunchyroll is a central hub in global anime streaming, but does not completely dominate the market. By opening distribution channels, Sony strengthens the platform’s position while creating a competitive environment that promotes industry growth.
