Is Crunchyroll Leaving VRV?

Channels have been slowly disappearing from VRV’s lineup for quite some time. Since Sony acquired Crunchyroll and announced that they’d be merging the service with Funimation, there have been a lot of questions surrounding Crunchyroll’s future on VRV.  

The Crunchyroll channel is still available to stream on VRV. Since March 2022, however, no new Crunchyroll seasons or series have been added to VRV. It is likely that all VRV content will be available to stream only on Crunchyroll in the future.

Is Crunchyroll Leaving VRV?

Since Sony acquired Crunchyroll in 2020 and coming off Crunchyroll’s major success in the anime streaming world, VRV has been owned by Crunchyroll and run by Sony.

In March 2022, it was announced that Sony would merge Crunchyroll’s library with several other streaming platforms and their libraries, hosting them all on the Crunchyroll website. 

The platforms and content libraries that Sony is currently in the process of merging with Crunchyroll include:

• VRV
• Wakanim
• Funimation

So, while Crunchyroll content is still available on VRV for now, there’s a good chance it will be merged with Crunchyroll soon. 

It’s unclear how long the merge will take to complete and for how long the Crunchyroll channel will remain on VRV. 

Once this merger is complete, you’ll likely be able to stream VRV’s two other exclusive channels, Mondo and VRV Select, on the Crunchyroll website.

However they go about it, one thing’s for sure — Crunchyroll access on VRV will definitely be reduced. 

Will I Still be Able to Watch Crunchyroll on VRV?

Currently, the Crunchyroll channel is still available to stream on VRV. 

While you can stream Crunchyroll content released before March 2022 on VRV, all series and seasons released from then on are streaming exclusively on Crunchyroll.

As of right now, officials recommend doing one of two things. 

If you want to stream new Crunchyroll content, plus Mondo and VRV Select content, you’ll need to sign up for a Crunchyroll subscription in addition to your current VRV subscription. 

Or, you could get rid of your VRV membership altogether and sign up for Crunchyroll instead. 

Keep in mind that if you do this, you will lose access to VRV’s exclusive content for now.

What Streaming Services are Merging with Crunchyroll?

Sony announced that Funimation and Crunchyroll would be merging their libraries under the Crunchyroll name. 

This means Funimation’s library is moving to the Crunchyroll platform. 

In addition, at some point, Funimation’s Wakanim streaming service and Crunchyroll’s VRV streaming service will be merged with Crunchyroll.

What Channels Are Still Available on VRV?

VRV has taken quite a hit over the past few years. Many of their channels have left the platform, mainly because VRV is only available to stream in the United States.

Currently, the only channels you can still watch on VRV include:

• Mondo
• VRV Select
• Crunchyroll

As we discussed above, new Crunchyroll content is only available on the Crunchyroll platform. 

Since VRV is merging with Crunchyroll, we can assume that Mondo and VRV Select will soon follow suit. However, neither Crunchyroll nor VRV has confirmed this.

Is VRV Shutting Down?

Crunchyroll representatives have reported that there are currently no plans to shut down VRV. However, Crunchyroll is actively encouraging VRV members to switch.

There’s no timeline for how long VRV’s merge with Crunchyroll will take, but eventually, it’s safe to say that the entire VRV library will migrate to Crunchyroll.

If you want to watch content from Mondo or VRV Select, signing up for or keeping your VRV membership is still your best call.

However, if you use VRV primarily for Crunchyroll content, a Crunchyroll subscription is the way to go.

Why is Crunchyroll Merging with Funimation?

Sony announced that they would be acquiring Crunchyroll and, in turn, VRV in 2020. 

They told users they would be combining the platform with their own Funimation platform, and most assumed Crunchyroll would dissolve into Funimation.

However, exactly the opposite happened. Previous Funimation subscribers have been directed to cancel their memberships and opt for a Crunchyroll subscription.

Sony has claimed that their goal with this merger is to offer more value to anime fans by putting more anime content under one roof.

However, it’s more likely that Sony saw how successful Crunchyroll had become in the anime streaming world and decided to invest to bring some of that success to Funimation.