Ellation
Ellation, doing business as Crunchyroll, operates a global direct-to-consumer anime streaming platform serving individual anime enthusiasts and households across 19+ countries, with simulcast releases, dubbed content in 16 languages, and an integrated ecosystem spanning streaming, games, manga, and merchandise, as a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Ellation does
Ellation, doing business as Crunchyroll, operates a global direct-to-consumer anime streaming platform headquartered in San Francisco, USA. The company serves individual anime enthusiasts and households seeking ad-free access to a library of thousands of anime series and movies, including high-demand titles such as Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen, One Piece, and Attack on Titan. Its core product is the Crunchyroll streaming service, differentiated by simulcast capability — releasing new episodes shortly after they air in Japan — and by dubbed content available in 16 languages with a localized interface in 17 languages, accessible across web, mobile (iOS/Android), smart TV, and gaming console applications.
The underlying platform is a multi-device streaming architecture with offline viewing for premium tiers, a six-character device activation system for cross-device account linking, and an integrated ecosystem spanning Crunchyroll Games (anime-themed gaming with a Game Vault), Crunchyroll Store (merchandise e-commerce with subscriber discounts), and Crunchyroll Manga (digital manga library for top-tier subscribers).
The business model is subscription-recurring, offering three annual tiers — Fan ($99.99/yr promotional, $139.99/yr regular), Mega Fan ($99.99/yr promotional, $139.99/yr regular), and Ultimate Fan ($179.99/yr or $14.99/mo) — with auto-renewal, first-year promotional pricing, and a 7-day free trial. Supplementary revenue streams include advertising for non-premium users, e-commerce merchandise sales, and gaming. Crunchyroll operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation under Sony Pictures Entertainment following Sony's 2021 acquisition from Otter Media, serving markets across North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East.
Ellation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ellation
- Legal name
- Crunchyroll, LLC
- Website
- https://ellation.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Ellation, doing business as Crunchyroll, operates a global direct-to-consumer anime streaming platform serving individual anime enthusiasts and households across 19+ countries, with simulcast releases, dubbed content in 16 languages, and an integrated ecosystem spanning streaming, games, manga, and merchandise, as a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ellation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Anime Streaming
- NAICS
- Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621)
- SIC
- Cable & Other Pay Television Services (4841)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Anime & Niche Genre Streaming Platforms (Horror/Faith/Indie/etc.) (MPACAAAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Anime Production (MPADACAF)
Keywords
Where Ellation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Ellation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Premium Streaming Subscriptions: Recurring subscription revenue from tiered premium plans (Fan, Mega Fan, Ultimate Fan) offering ad-free streaming, offline viewing, multi-device access, and exclusive content. Subscriptions renew monthly or annually with promotional pricing for first-year subscribers.
- Crunchyroll Store Merchandise: E-commerce sales of anime merchandise, collectibles, and apparel through the Crunchyroll Store, offering exclusive items and discounts for premium members.
- Crunchyroll Games: Gaming segment offering interactive experiences based on anime properties, with access to Crunchyroll Game Vault for Mega Fan and Ultimate Fan subscribers.
- Crunchyroll Manga: Digital manga library subscription included with Ultimate Fan tier, offering manga content alongside anime streaming.
- Advertising: Ad-supported content delivery for non-premium users, with ad-free experience as a key premium benefit.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Fan - Basic premium tier with single device streaming |
| Subscription | Annual | Mega Fan - Mid-tier with 4 device streaming and Game Vault |
| Subscription | Monthly | Ultimate Fan - Top-tier with 6 device streaming, Manga, and swag bag |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
Ellation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ellation, doing business as Crunchyroll, operates an anime-focused subscription streaming platform that delivers simulcasts of Japanese anime shortly after airing, thousands of hours of subtitled and dubbed content in 16 languages, and multi-device viewing (web, mobile, smart TV, gaming consoles). The offering is complemented by Crunchyroll Games (anime-themed interactive gaming with the Game Vault), Crunchyroll Store (e-commerce for anime merchandise and collectibles), and Crunchyroll Manga (digital manga reading for top-tier subscribers).
Product overview
Ellation operates Crunchyroll as a unified multi-platform anime entertainment ecosystem. The core product is the Crunchyroll streaming service, which offers three subscription tiers: Fan (1 device, basic features), Mega Fan (4 devices, Game Vault access), and Ultimate Fan (6 devices, Manga access, exclusive swag bags). Supporting the streaming platform are three complementary modules: Crunchyroll Games (anime-themed gaming with Game Vault), Crunchyroll Store (merchandise e-commerce with subscriber discounts), and Crunchyroll Manga (digital manga library). The portfolio also includes simulcast content released shortly after Japan airings, news coverage, and event programming.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Crunchyroll Streaming
- Crunchyroll Games
- Crunchyroll Store
- Crunchyroll Manga
Companies that use Ellation
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Ellation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Ellation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Ellation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Amazon Prime Video: Subscription streaming within the Prime bundle, carrying licensed anime titles and producing originals; competes on price-value perception and bundling rather than depth of anime catalog.
- Hulu: US subscription streaming service with a meaningful anime library and simulcasts; integrates with Disney+ and competes head-on with Crunchyroll's US ad-free tier.
- Netflix: Global streaming incumbent increasingly committing capex to exclusive anime productions and licensing; competes across every tier of Crunchyroll's subscriber base and on simulcast windows.
- Disney+: Broad subscription streaming service carrying select anime (e.g., via Hulu integration in the US) and producing original anime; bundles family/anime content against Crunchyroll's premium tiers.
Emerging players
- Pluto TV: Free, ad-supported streaming (FAST) operated by Paramount; carries dedicated anime channels that compete against Crunchyroll's free tier and press ad-supported monetization.
- Tubi: Fox-owned free, ad-supported streaming service with growing anime catalog; competes with Crunchyroll's free ad-supported tier for cost-conscious viewers and on ad inventory.
Direct peers
- Funimation: Anime-focused streaming service now fully consolidated under Sony; the closest direct competitor and sister property, offering a near-identical catalog of licensed anime with dubs/subs.
- HIDIVE: Subscription anime streaming service operated by Sentai Holdings, focusing on curated and simulcast anime titles — directly competing with Crunchyroll for paying anime fans in North America and beyond.
- RetroCrush: Free, ad-supported anime streaming service specializing in classic and niche titles; competes with Crunchyroll's free-tier ad-supported offering for casual anime viewers.
Regional players
- Bilibili: China-headquartered anime and manga community/streaming platform; an adjacent anime-first operator primarily in Asia with expanding international reach that overlaps Crunchyroll's offering in served markets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Ellation social profiles
Digital presenceEllation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ellation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Ellation subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Ellation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ellation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Ellation
What does Ellation do?
Ellation, doing business as Crunchyroll, operates an anime-focused subscription streaming platform that delivers simulcasts of Japanese anime shortly after airing, thousands of hours of subtitled and dubbed content in 16 languages, and multi-device viewing (web, mobile, smart TV, gaming consoles). The offering is complemented by Crunchyroll Games (anime-themed interactive gaming with the Game Vault), Crunchyroll Store (e-commerce for anime merchandise and collectibles), and Crunchyroll Manga (digital manga reading for top-tier subscribers).
Is Ellation a public or private company?
Ellation is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Ellation founded?
Ellation was founded in 2015. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Ellation based?
Ellation is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Ellation make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Premium Streaming Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are crunchyroll Store Merchandise, crunchyroll Games, crunchyroll Manga and advertising.
Who are Ellation's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Netflix and Disney+. Emerging players are Pluto TV and Tubi. Direct peers are Funimation, HIDIVE and RetroCrush. Bilibili is listed as a regional player.
Does Ellation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ellation.
What industry is Ellation in?
Ellation's product category is Anime Streaming. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACAAAH, Anime & Niche Genre Streaming Platforms (Horror/Faith/Indie/etc.), with a secondary code of MPADACAF, Anime Production. Its NAICS code is 51621 and its SIC code is 4841.