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Sony's Funimation agrees to buy anime streamer Crunchyroll for $1.175 billion
Two years ago, Sony’s purchase of Funimation drove a wedge behind the anime production house and Crunchyroll, which is primarily a subscription streaming video service. Crunchyroll ended up becoming a part of AT&T via the Time Warner acquisition and supplied some content for HBO Max, but now AT&T has agreed to sell it off to Sony/Funimation for $1.175 billion. Crunchyroll noted it has 3 million subscribers and over 90 million registered users across more than 200 countries.
The best subscription gifts for new grads
Among the dozens of subscription services and boxes available now, particular ones are quite useful for new grads. Here are the best subscriptions you can gift to new graduates.
The best TVs and streamers to use in a dorm room
Sure, studying is important. But in between classes and hitting the books everyone will need time to relax with some Netflix. Some students might be able to get by with just a laptop, tablet or even phone for TV watching, but we think you can do better without breaking the bank. We've picked out a few TVs, keeping in mind that students will need sets that are smaller and not too expensive. And, if you happen to pick a TV that doesn't already have streaming apps built in, we've listed some of our favorite streaming devices, too. Speaking of streaming apps, you'll need good stuff to watch. We're not bothering recommending Netflix because let's face it, you probably already are mooching off your parents have your own account. Instead, allow us to recommend some services you might not have heard of -- say, for anime and manga fans.
Genre fans are getting milked by streaming services
Like Thanos at the end of Infinity War, Marvel has culled some of its Netflix universe, canceling both Iron Fist and Luke Cage in the past few weeks. That leaves Daredevil and Jessica Jones as the remaining Defenders on the streaming service, plus spinoff property Punisher. The company promised that this wasn't the last time we'd see either hero, just that it was the end of their respective shows "on Netflix," fueling speculation that they'd be heading to Disney's upcoming streaming service. Now we'll have to cough up even more money if we want to keep up with the continuing adventures of Luke, Colleen, Misty and maybe Danny. (Ed. note: Nobody wants to keep up with Danny.)
Stream all of your favorite Nickelodeon classics for $6 per month
Streaming service VRV is now home to a slew of Nickelodeon throwbacks. With a new streaming channel called NickSplat, VRV is offering users access to shows like All That, Doug, Rocko's Modern Life, CatDog, Clarissa Explains It All, Kenan & Kel, Legends of the Hidden Temple, Salute Your Shorts, Are You Afraid of the Dark? and The Wild Thornberrys. In all, there are 21 titles available at launch with more on the way.
NBC will shut down its Seeso comedy streaming service this year
NBC's experiment in a comedy streaming service, Seeso, wasn't long for this world -- the outfit is shutting down later this year. There's no explanation as to why, but it notes that its original series There's... Johnny! won't premiere later in August as a result. Thankfully, this and other shows will live on. Some of them already have new homes, NBC says. It doesn't take too much work to divine why Seeso called it quits mere months after its January debut. As a niche streaming service, it just didn't capture attention in the same way as all-encompassing alternatives like Amazon, Hulu or Netflix. There were layoffs in June, and the relatively thin selection of originals didn't help matters, either. This doesn't mean that specialty streaming can't work, but it faces an uphill battle when you can spend just a few dollars more per month to access a much larger video catalog.
Crunchyroll's parent creates a streaming service for geeks
Ellation isn't content to serve geek culture solely through the anime you find on Crunchyroll. It's launching a new streaming service, VRV, that unites some of the biggest media producers in the field, including Geek & Sundry, Nerdist, Rooster Reeth and Crunchyroll itself. VRV will have a free ad-backed version, but there will also be an ad-free premium subscription. And no, it's not just aggregating what you'd see on YouTube -- there will be exclusives (such as all of Cartoon Hangover's content), including some that are only available for subscribers.
