VRV To Lose Funimation Channel In November

The anime and gaming streaming service VRV has announced a couple of changes to its premium platform, effective November 9th. According to a post published on Thursday on the official company blog, Funimation will no longer be available as part of the VRV Premium channel or as a standalone channel.  This ends a deal which was first launched in September 2016. While the blog doesn't mention the reason for the change, it is likely the result on Funimation launching its own premium streaming service, FunimationNow, later this year. 

The good news for VRV subscribers is that the 500+ titles from HIDIVE will soon be available on the service. Here is the complete post, with all of the details:

Dear VRV users,

Today we have both good and bad news to deliver. Which would you like first? Okay, the bad…

As you know, Funimation has been a popular channel on VRV since we launched two years ago. Funimation’s dubbed lineup has complemented Crunchyroll’s vast Japanese-language library of anime. Unfortunately, Funimation has decided to go their own way, and our partnership with them will be winding down on November 9th. After that date, you will no longer have access to the Funimation channel as part of the VRV Premium Subscription or as an individual Channel Subscription.

Don’t stop reading here! VRV’s love-affair with anime is as strong as ever — we have good news too, remember?

We are incredibly proud to announce our newest partner: HIDIVE, a dynamic new member of the anime streaming world. Anime favorites from HIDIVE, like Made in Abyss, Food Wars, Elfien Lied, Bloom Into You, and Highschool of the Dead, will be available on VRV in just a couple weeks with their full catalog of 500+ titles soon to follow. One reason you’ve told us that you *love* VRV is because we have anime both subbed AND dubbed. With HIDIVE’s impressive collection of subs, dubs and simulcasts and Crunchyroll’s unparalleled Japanese-language library, we’re confident that you’ll agree that our anime selection is still the best around.

Please know that VRV is more committed than ever to bringing you the newest and best titles from an ever-growing assortment of channels. Stay tuned as we have even more exciting content announcements coming soon! Thank you for your continued support. And as always, we love hearing from you what additional content you’d like to see on VRV!

Sincerely,

the VRV Team