Sony's anime streaming services Crunchyroll, Wakanim halt operations in Russia

In the wake of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, many prominent companies are temporarily cutting the Russian market off from its services.

As reported by Variety, on Friday, Sony's Entertainment unit suspended Russian users from accessing its Crunchyroll and Wakanim anime streaming services. The move will pause any and every TV distribution deal in the country until further notice.

Crunchyroll, Wakanim Suspend Services in Russia

According to Variety, the Sony Pictures Entertainment chairman CEO Tony Vinciquerra wrote in an email, “We stand with many businesses around the world who have now paused their business operations in Russia, and in support of the humanitarian efforts currently underway in Ukraine and the surrounding region”. The outlet has halted the streaming services of all its anime content from March 11 onwards. While concluding his statement, Vinciquerra added, “Our thoughts and prayers remain with those who have been impacted and it is our hope that a peaceful resolution can be found soon”.

Prior to this, Sony had also blocked the theatrical release of 'Morbius' in Russia owing to the country's invasion of Ukraine. Ever since they have also halted home entertainment releases of movies including 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' and all other television deals. The company previously said that it will not release its upcoming slate of theatrical films in Russia.

As per the outlet, the Sony Group Corporation has also donated $2 million to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the international NGO Save the Children in order to provide humanitarian aid to Ukrainian civilians who have been forced to find refuge in safe shelters and are even fleeing the country as Russia continues its military attacks. Apart from Sony, Netflix, Amazon, Disney, and Warner Media are among the few others who have suspended their operation in Russia in response to the country's invasion of Ukraine.

In other news, Crunchyroll and Funimation's recent merger recently hit the headlines. At the beginning of March, it was officially announced that anime content on Funimation will be moved to Crunchyroll. For those unaware, Funimation has been serving millions of fans with its anime content in 10 different languages that are broadcasted in more than 50 countries all across the globe. Now, that the two streaming anime giants have unified even their subsidiaries, Wakanim and URV have created a single subscription service for their customers.

Image: Instagram/@crunchyroll