Funimation, a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Television, has announced the acquisition of Manga Entertainment Limited, a distributor of anime in the UK and Ireland.
Manga is a long-term partner of Funimation and currently serves anime via Blu-ray/DVDs, broadcast, theatrical and digital (EST-electronic sell-through).
Following consolidation, Funimation’s UK home entertainment and Manga will be the largest distributor of anime Blu-rays/DVDs titles in the UK and Ireland. Over the coming months, most of these titles will become available for streaming on FunimationNow. These will include hit series like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Naruto Shippuden, Ghost in the Shell: Innocence and Sword Art Online.
Funimation sales and distribution vice president Mitchel Berger commented, “With this acquisition, we will create a truly immersive anime experience for fans in the UK and Ireland. This begins with providing fans access to Manga’s library of titles to enjoy whenever and wherever they want on FunimationNow. Together with the Manga team, Funimation will bring its fan-first omnichannel approach to serving anime fans, engaging with them directly through the widest array of touchpoints.”
Funimation currently provides streaming, home entertainment, theatrical and broadcast distribution, and merchandise licensing in many international territories. Its subscription service, FunimationNow, serves consumers in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand with a catalogue of over 600 titles.
In November 2019, FunimationNow became the first Sony Pictures Television service to launch on Amazon Prime video in the UK.