Crunchyroll vs Funimation: Which Anime Platform Covers Your Country
Crunchyroll is in 200+ countries but the anime catalog shrinks outside the US. Which titles you get, which you lose, and where Funimation still operates.
Crunchyroll (owned by Sony/Funimation since 2022) is the dominant global anime platform available in 200+ countries. Funimation.com still operates in the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand but will eventually be fully merged into Crunchyroll.
Crunchyroll and Funimation are effectively the same company. Sony Pictures Entertainment owns both services through its acquisition of Crunchyroll in 2021 (a deal worth $1.175 billion paid to AT&T, which had acquired Crunchyroll through its WarnerMedia assets). Since 2022, Sony has operated both under the Crunchyroll brand as the primary global anime destination. Funimation.com continues to function in a few English-speaking markets, but new content, exclusive titles, and the roadmap are all Crunchyroll-first. As of 2026, Crunchyroll operates in 200+ countries with over 13 million paid subscribers.
Crunchyroll's global footprint by region
North America: Crunchyroll operates in both the US and Canada, with the same catalog. Both Crunchyroll and Funimation.com are active in these markets. US pricing: $7.99/month (Fan), $9.99/month (Mega Fan), $14.99/month (Ultimate Fan). All tiers include simulcast access to new episodes within 1 hour of Japanese broadcast.
Europe: Crunchyroll operates across the UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Scandinavia, and most other European countries. The European catalog is largely identical to North America, with most simulcasts available simultaneously. Some older licensed titles may be excluded due to separate EU distribution deals.
Latin America: Crunchyroll operates across Brazil and Spanish-speaking Latin America. Pricing is localized — Brazil: R$19.90/month for the Fan tier. Portuguese and Spanish subtitles/dubbing are available for many titles.
Asia-Pacific: Crunchyroll operates in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and select Asian markets. Notably, Crunchyroll has limited or no presence in Japan itself, where Niconico, d Anime Store, and local services dominate. South Korea is similarly limited due to existing distribution arrangements.
Funimation's remaining footprint
Funimation.com remains active in the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand as of 2026. However, Sony has confirmed that Crunchyroll is the primary brand going forward. New exclusive titles and simulcasts are added to Crunchyroll, not Funimation.
Funimation's historical strength was English dubbing — it established the US dubbed anime market in the late 1990s with Dragon Ball Z, Fullmetal Alchemist, and similar titles. Its dubbed library is now being incorporated into Crunchyroll, which has significantly expanded its dubbing operation. Crunchyroll now produces dubs for over 50% of new simulcast titles, compared to virtually none before the Sony merger.
What Crunchyroll's 45,000+ episodes means for subscribers
Crunchyroll's catalog includes 45,000+ episodes across 1,000+ anime titles and 70+ manga series. Simulcast — same-day release of new episodes matching the Japanese broadcast schedule — is available for most currently airing series. A new episode of a Tuesday-night anime in Japan is typically available on Crunchyroll within 1 hour of its Japanese broadcast.
The combined Crunchyroll-Funimation library creates the largest legally licensed anime catalog outside Japan. Sub-only titles dominate (most simulcasts have only Japanese audio with English subtitles initially). Dubs are added weeks to months later for popular titles. The Ultimate Fan tier ($14.99/month) includes offline downloads and 4K streaming where available.
Countries where anime streaming is different
Japan itself is the notable gap. Crunchyroll has minimal licensed content available in Japan because Japanese studios typically maintain control over domestic streaming rights, distributing through Niconico, AbemaTV, d Anime Store, and HIDIVE (HiDive is a competitor to Crunchyroll, also owned by Sony through HIDIVE parent Sentai Filmworks). Anime fans in Japan pay for local simulcast services that are completely separate from Crunchyroll.
China presents another complexity. Legal anime streaming in China operates primarily through iQiyi, Bilibili, and Youku, which license directly from Japanese studios. Crunchyroll has no licensing arrangements for mainland China. China is the world's second-largest anime market by revenue (approximately $1.4 billion annually), operating entirely through domestic platforms.