Sony Pictures Television and Aniplex recently announced that they will combine three Sony-owned anime streaming services under one roof. Wakanim in France, Madman Anime Group in Australia and Funimation in the U.S. will now operate as a joint venture in order to better serve the global anime community.
While the services will retain their current branding, they will all operate together, led by Colin Decker, General Manager at Funimation.
"For 25 years, Funimation has served creators, publishers and fans," said Decker. "By merging, we can extend our support of the industry for another 25 years with some of the most respected talent, and brands, in global Anime."
Sony Pictures Television's Chairman, Mike Hopkins, added that "anime is a growing area of importance for us at Sony Pictures Television." Combining the companies will allow Sony to "immediately increase [their] global reach and expertise" and "deliver unprecedented results for our partners and the best possible Anime experience for our fans."
This sentiment was echoed by Atsuhiro Iwakami, President of Aniplex Inc. “Through Sony group’s integration of Anime related streaming services, we are thrilled that numerous Japanese Anime titles will be distributed globally through its digital platforms" he said. "We hope our partnership will contribute to the further development and expansion of the Japanese Anime industry.”
The combination of Funimation, Wakanim and Madman Anime Group allows Sony to focus their efforts in the growing global Anime market and provide consumers with services worthy of a truly global combination of forces.