Crunchyroll Co-Founder Kun Gao Launches AniBiz Anime Licensing Marketplace
The platform formalizes anime licensing into a structured marketplace, potentially lowering the entry barrier for new licensees and expanding the global anime economy.
Reporting from 1 source: Anime News Network.
Kun Gao, co-founder and former CEO of Crunchyroll, has launched AniBiz.com, a B2B marketplace for anime licensing. The platform, live this week, connects rights holders with potential licensees. It offers a database of thousands of anime series and multiple subscription tiers, including a free basic tier. Gao stated the platform aims to lower barriers for new licensees and streamline the licensing process.
AniBiz's website lists major Japanese entertainment companies as featured licensors, including Aniplex, Toei Animation, Toho Global, and TV Tokyo. The platform offers three subscription tiers: a free basic tier for profile creation, a $49 per month pro tier with access to title data and production committee information, and a bespoke tier for special requests. Gao told ANN that the platform expects to add more licensors in the coming months. He also stated that the platform is designed to streamline the licensing process and bring in new licensees who may have been excluded by the traditional relationship-based system.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.