Funimation and Crunchyroll’s merger has been a long time coming, but it’s finally going to happen. With Funimation shutting down soon, fans are worried about Funimation digital copies on Crunchyroll.
While the merger was announced back in 2022, there are still worries about what it will mean for existing Funimation subscribers. Aside from digital copies, there’s also a concern about the lineup transfer.
What to Expect From the Funimation Shutdown
When Sony acquired Crunchyroll back in 2021, many wondered what this would mean for Sony’s Funimation service. As expected, it was decided that Funimation would be merged with Crunchyroll.
Since this merger was announced in early 2022, Funimation subscribers have been given the option to migrate to a new Crunchyroll account or to merge with an existing account with the same email.
Funimation may have gotten some shows like Attack on Titan The Final Chapters or Bofuri Season 2, but it is now confirmed to shut down in April.
While the merger or migration process promises to be simple, the entire Funimation lineup has not yet been transferred over to Crunchyroll. Thus, there are fears that some anime will be lost in the process.
Along with streaming titles, there’s also a concern about digital copies.
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What Happens to Funimation Digital Copies? Explained
Funimation is mainly an anime streaming platform, though it also has a feature called digital copies.
These are essentially digital access to the content available on DVDs or Blu-ray purchases. With this, buyers of physical disc releases can access a digital copy of the anime series or movie on their DVD or Blu-ray.
With this, fans were able to watch the content on their disc on their Funimation account. This is helpful for those who want to watch their collection while not at home, or for those whose discs get damaged.
Because it’s part of a physical disc release, fans were hoping that Funimation digital copies would also be transferred.
Will Funimation Digital Copies Get Transferred to Crunchyroll?
Sadly, that won’t be the case. Funimation confirmed in its official announcement that digital copies won’t be supported on Crunchyroll.
Because of this, DVD and Blu-ray owners will not get digital access to the content on their physical copies. Thus, they can only access the content from the disc itself.
Based on the official statement, Crunchyroll stated that they are “continuously working to enhance [their] content offerings” instead. Given how it’s worded, digital copy access may not happen anytime soon, if at all.
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