Open orders will continue to process, including those for items released after store transitions
Image courtesy of Crunchyroll
© Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll announced on Tuesday that it is changing its Crunchyroll Store in August to be exclusive to the company’s Mega and Ultimate Fan subscription tiers. The company will announce the cutoff date for using the current version of the store in the future.
Select items on the Crunchyroll Store are now designated as “final sale.” In addition, refunds or returns will only be accepted for damaged or defective products. Open orders will continue to process and ship, including those released after the store transitions. The company will continue to accept Crunchyroll Store gift cards until August 14. Update: In addition, existing benefits for store discounts with Mega Fan and Ultimate Fan memberships will end on the same day.
The updated store will feature “curated drops and Crunchyroll‑exclusive merch.”
The company also announced that a Summer Sale has started on Tuesday.
Crunchyroll increased the prices for all of its subscription tiers in the U.S. last February. The company increased the Fan Tier price from US$7.99 to US$9.99, the Mega Fan Tier price from US$11.99 to US$13.99 per month and the Ultimate Fan Tier from US$15.99 to US$17.99 per month.
The Fan Tier has no advertisements, and all new simulcast episodes are available to users as they premiere. The Mega Fan Tier includes all features from the Fan Tier. In addition, this tier enables offline viewing and access to four streams at once. Members also get a 10% discount off select products and free shipping for orders over US$50 on the Crunchyroll Store. The Ultimate Fan Tier includes everything from the Fan Tier. It also features offline viewing and access to six streams at once. Members can get a 15% discount off select products and free shipping on the Crunchyroll Store. In addition, members receive an annual Ultimate Fan member swag bag and access to exclusive member-only merchandise.
Crunchyroll acquired Right Stuf in August 2022 to expand its eCommerce service. Right Stuf phased out its store and migrated its products to the Crunchyroll Store in October 2023. Customers can still find the products that were previously listed on Right Stuf.
Crunchyroll crossed 21 million paid subscribers globally in May.
Crunchyroll laid off a number of employees in March, after a restructuring and redistribution of roles based on location. The company’s restructuring was also due to a shift in its e-commerce strategy, and not due to cost-cutting measures.
Crunchyroll halted halting free ad-supported streaming on its service on December 31.
Crunchyroll is an independently operated joint venture between U.S.-based Sony Pictures Entertainment and Japan’s Aniplex. Sony Pictures Entertainment and Aniplex’s Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) parent are both in turn subsidiaries of Tokyo-based Sony Group.
Sony’s Funimation Global Group completed its acquisition of Crunchyroll from AT&T on August 9, 2021, after the company first announced the acquisition in December 2020. The purchase price was US$1.175 billion, and the proceeds were paid in cash at closing. Funimation’s home video releases are now listed under Crunchyroll.
Update: Added statement about benefits. Thanks, TheAncientOne. Source: Email correspondence
Sources: Crunchyroll, Crunchyroll Store
