Crunchyroll is Replacing Its Ad-Supported Tier with 'Samplers'
Colin Smith — March 29, 2022 — Tech
References: crunchyroll & theverge
'Crunchyroll,' the popular online platform for streaming anime, has announced it is ending its free, ad-supported tier in favor of 'seasonal samplers.' Previously, Crunchyroll users could pay a premium fee of $7.99 USD per month to receive new anime episodes day-one and ad-free. Alternatively, users could choose to use the service for free, but new episode releases would be delayed by one week, and the user would need to watch ads to support the site.
With this new service, there will be no change for customers who pay the subscription fee. However, for customers who used the ad-supported tier, they will now only be given the first three episodes of each show, as well as seasonal samplers. Seasonal samplers are select shows that will be released each anime season based on popularity. This new combination of three-episode teasers and seasonal samplers is intended to incentivize more users to subscribe to Crunchyroll's premium service.
Image Credit: Crunchyroll
With this new service, there will be no change for customers who pay the subscription fee. However, for customers who used the ad-supported tier, they will now only be given the first three episodes of each show, as well as seasonal samplers. Seasonal samplers are select shows that will be released each anime season based on popularity. This new combination of three-episode teasers and seasonal samplers is intended to incentivize more users to subscribe to Crunchyroll's premium service.
Image Credit: Crunchyroll
Trend Themes
1. Anime Samplers - Providing seasonal samplers can increase user incentives for subscribing to premium anime services.
2. Ad-free Subscription - Offering an ad-free subscription can be a disruptive innovation opportunity for anime streaming services.
3. Delayed Release for Free Subscription - Delaying new episode releases for free users and offering them the option to watch ads can be a strategy to increase paid subscriptions.
Industry Implications
1. Streaming - Online streaming services can implement ad-free subscriptions or reducing free content promotion as a strategy to encourage premium subscription sales.
2. Entertainment - The entertainment industry can adopt the anime sampler concept to promote their content in a more educational and visually engaging way.
3. Marketing - Advertising companies can partner with streaming platforms and offer relevant ads according to the interest of the viewers, which may be more effective in promoting sales than a broader strategy.
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