The second acquisition had more international flavor than the Apple-Topsy deal. Chernin Group—former News Corp president Peter Chernin’s holding company—took control of Japanese anime streaming service Crunchyroll.
Headquartered in San Francisco, Crunchyroll has a free, ad-supported service and a subscription service that the Cherin group says has subscribers in more than 160 countries. The company delivers content from Japanese studios and broadcasters to viewers outside of Japan on desktops, mobile phones and other devices.
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Chernin, which made a bid to buy Hulu earlier this year, said it had acquired majority control of Crunchyroll, but did not disclose the the price of the transaction.
A source with knowledge of the matter said the cost neared $100 million.
The Chernin Group said it will maintain majority control although Crunchyroll management and existing investor TV Tokyo will maintain a “significant” stake.
—By Reuters