Crunchyroll will no longer offer free, ad-supported viewing of simulcasts for newly released shows on its anime streaming service, according to an announcement on its website. Previously, anime fans could stream new releases on the free tier one week after their initial release. Subscribers will now have to subscribe to a paid plan, starting at $7.99 per month, to watch.
The streaming service’s new policy will go into effect this spring. To ease into the new plan, for the spring 2022 season, users will be able to simulcast the first three episodes of select titles for free with ads through May 31. Those titles include:
- Spy x Family
- A Couple of Cuckoos
- Dawn of the Witch
- Tomodachi Game
- Skeleton Knight in Another World
- Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie
- The Greatest Demon Lord is Reborn as a Typical Nobody
- Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs
There will still be some content available for free. “Crunchyroll makes more than 1,000 hours available for viewers to sample free of charge through our ad-supported tier, and will continue to offer free content going forward,” the website announcement says.
Fans can try out Crunchyroll’s premium membership, which includes unlimited access to the Crunchyroll library and access to simulcasts, with a 14-day free trial.