Crunchyroll Overtakes Kadokawa As Top Anime Production Committee Investor
Crunchyroll's shift from licensee to committee investor gives it earlier access to titles and a share of production earnings, reshaping how global streaming rights are secured.
Key Facts
- Crunchyroll participated in at least 87 anime production committees for full-length TV anime in 2024 and 2025, surpassing Kadokawa's 82 committees.
- The analysis was published at Comic Market 107 by columnist Fuyuki Kurohara and covers 417 titles aired on Japanese terrestrial and satellite TV over 2024 and 2025.
- Crunchyroll's Japanese subsidiary earned ¥1.7 billion (US$10.6 million) net profit across 2024 and 2025, reversing cumulative losses of ¥907 million (US$5.7 million) from 2021.
- Crunchyroll's committee investments represent 21 percent of the 417 new titles aired on Japanese terrestrial and satellite TV in 2024 and 2025.
- Sony Pictures Entertainment acquired Crunchyroll in 2021, the year the company had cumulative losses of ¥907 million.
Reporting from 1 source: Animenomics.
An independent study of publicly available anime production data found that Crunchyroll participated in at least 87 production committees for full-length TV anime in 2024 and 2025, surpassing Kadokawa's 82. The analysis, published at Comic Market 107 by columnist Fuyuki Kurohara, covers 417 titles aired on Japanese terrestrial and satellite TV over that period. Crunchyroll's Japanese subsidiary earned ¥1.7 billion net profit across the two years, reversing cumulative losses from 2021.
Crunchyroll has become the most prolific investor in anime production committees, funding at least 87 full-length TV anime titles in 2024 and 2025, according to an independent study by anime columnist Fuyuki Kurohara. The figure, published at Tokyo's Comic Market 107 in December, represents 21 percent of the 417 new titles aired on Japanese terrestrial and satellite television over that period. Crunchyroll's total overtook Japanese publisher Kadokawa, which participated in 82 committees and had been the top investor in the 2022-2023 period.
The company's Japanese subsidiary, which makes the committee investments, earned ¥1.7 billion (US$10.6 million) in net profit over the two years, according to a recent filing. Retained earnings turned positive in 2024 and rose to ¥640 million (US$4 million) in 2025, a turnaround from cumulative losses of ¥907 million (US$5.7 million) in 2021, the year Sony Pictures Entertainment acquired Crunchyroll.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.