Anime specialty service Crunchyroll is joining forces with Sony Pictures and Japanese pay TV broadcaster Wowow to boost its original anime series output. The three partners unveiled a pact Thursday to work together on new content.
The partners said the series produced under the pact will broadcast and stream on WOWOW in Japan, while launching on Crunchyroll in the more than 200 other countries and territories where the platform is active. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The three companies’ first joint project will be the fantasy adventure series Bye Bye, Earth, based on a best-selling Japanese novel by Tow Ubukata (RWBY: Ice Queendom; Ghost in the Shell: Arise). The story follows the journey of Bell in her quest to discover her roots, uncovering adventures and conflicts along the way.
“Anime fans love to discover new worlds and our partnership with WOWOW and Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan will allow us to present new adventures to the global anime community,” said Rahul Purini, president of Crunchyroll.
Added Akira Tanaka, CEO of WOWOW: “Together with WOWOW, that has produced original content with thorough commitment to quality, Sony Pictures that offers various blockbuster films and popular dramas, and Crunchyroll that is good at creating a fan community through tailor-made marketing for each title and has huge influence on global anime fans especially in Western countries, I’m looking forward to our titles powerfully reaching global fans in the future through our co-productions.”
