Publishing company HarperCollins to distribute Crunchyroll manga in France and Germany.
In a strategic move to expand its presence in the fast-growing manga market, HarperCollins has announced its acquisition of Crunchyroll's manga publishing operations in France and Germany. The joint venture between Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment is not directly associated with HarperCollins at this point in the acquisition process.
Founded in 2006, Crunchyroll started by streaming anime, significantly reducing piracy in the industry. Over the years, its focus has been on anime, manga, and graphic novels, operating one of the largest manga and graphic novel bookstores with over a dozen publishers.
The acquisition enables HarperCollins to sell manga and graphic novels in France and Germany, strengthening its expertise and capabilities in this category. Crunchyroll's physical manga offerings have not been mentioned to be part of HarperCollins' acquisition yet, and the digital relaunch of Crunchyroll's manga and graphic novel bookstore remains uncertain.
Rahul Purini, President of Crunchyroll, has thanked the Crunchyroll manga employees in France and Germany for their work. HarperCollins, in turn, has expressed its intention to welcome and invest in the French and German publishing teams and their business.
The transaction is set to close in the second half of 2025, subject to regulatory approval. Addleshaw Goddard is advising HarperCollins on the deal, while Mayer Brown is representing the seller. Despite detailed reports on the transaction and its strategic significance, the exact acquisition price or financial terms have not been disclosed publicly.
This acquisition is a significant step toward broadening HarperCollins' manga program around the world. As the only major Western publisher operating in Japan, HarperCollins is already well-established in the manga market. With the addition of Crunchyroll's operations, they are poised to make a substantial impact in Europe as well.
[1] Source 1 [2] Source 2 [3] Source 3 [4] Source 4 [5] Source 5
- The acquisition of Crunchyroll's manga publishing operations might introduce new technology in HarperCollins' business, considering that Crunchyroll operates one of the largest digital manga and graphic novel bookstores.
- The strategic move by HarperCollins to acquire Crunchyroll's operations in finance may potentially enhance their presence in the manga market, particularly in Europe, given Crunchyroll's strong foothold in the region.
