Simulcast Partnership with Fuji TV for NoitaminA Block Announced

[Chris Beveridge]

<div>FUNimation Entertainment is partnering with the leading and largest Japanese broadcast television network, Fuji Television Network, Inc., to simulcast anime series featured in its late-night noitaminA programming block airing in Japan on Thursday nights. The partnership gives the American anime leader rights to the online streaming and simulcast of the series in noitaminA in the U.S...

More... (http://www.mania.com/simulcast-partnership-fuji-tv-for-noitamina-block-announced_article_121909.html)

[Betenoire]

I wonder if this might lead to a partnership where some of Fuji TVs LA programing becomes available as well.

[something]

While a good idea in theory, it being Funi's service makes it a no-go.

[Ingraman]

While a good idea in theory, it being Funi's service makes it a no-go.

I'll try it, provided there's no charge, but I'm not optimistic based upon the few comments that I've seen about Funi's streaming. I've never been there, so I don't know if it might work for me.

I'm not sure if I'm interested in either series that they'll be starting with.

[kadmos1]

I should check these out since I have seen little josei/shoujo anime. I have read more manga titles of this type though. Someone get my favorite title after HeroMan, Angel Beats.

[Daimao Raki]

I'll check this out.

[Ashyukun]

While a good idea in theory, it being Funi's service makes it a no-go.
I tend to agree... my experiences with their streaming have not been good, both in terms of visual quality and annoying commercials at weird intervals.

I did note though that it doesn't seem to say anything about it being an exclusive partnership, so perhaps it's possible for others to work out deals to stream these titles...

[Draneor]

This isn't really surprising but:

@therealspratt we don't have UK rights. ;(

[FUNiOP]

That was more substantial than I expected, but it doesn't sound like they get the home video release rights. It didn't say when the episodes would be uploaded to the partner sites like YouTube, but hopefully it will be less than two weeks.

[njchobitsfan]

I might give it a look-see.

[LelouchLamperouge]

It's up on YouTube now. Linky link. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFF-fPLtOs0)

Not bad at all. Very prompt.

[chronoclast]

Nice, I'm definitely going to check out both shows. I'm really glad they got Yojou-Han Shinwa Taikei. I've been anticipating it ever since it was first announced and it's about time that something from Yusaa got picked up.

I'll check out House of Five Leaves in a little bit.

If these shows end up being good, hopefully they'll pick up the home video rights too.

[Chris Beveridge]

I really liked House of Five Leaves.

[FUNiOP]

It's up on YouTube now. Linky link. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFF-fPLtOs0)

Not bad at all. Very prompt.

That's more like it. Hopefully they do this with their simulcasts from now on, so I can actually hope they get some of them, and not just Crunchyroll.

[ilmaestro]

I'm really excited for this show, even though I've heard some less than stellar reports about Funi's service I'll give it a go...

This isn't really surprising but:

@therealspratt we don't have UK rights. ;(
Oh.

[something]

I'm really excited for this show, even though I've heard some less than stellar reports about Funi's service I'll give it a go...
This isn't really surprising but:
@therealspratt we don't have UK rights. ;(Oh.
It's on YouTube too, though I checked a few minutes out and the video quality was too poor for my tastes. Really jaggy.

[chronoclast]

House of Five Leaves is streaming on Hulu now too: http://www.hulu.com/house-of-five-leaves?c=Animation-and-Cartoons

[ilmaestro]

I'm really excited for this show, even though I've heard some less than stellar reports about Funi's service I'll give it a go...
This isn't really surprising but:
@therealspratt we don't have UK rights. ;(Oh.
It's on YouTube too, though I checked a few minutes out and the video quality was too poor for my tastes. Really jaggy.
Blocked on the tube for me, too, anyway. :(

[something]

Blocked on the tube for me, too, anyway. :(
Wow, really? I rarely use YouTube so I didn't even know they had region blocks. Guess it makes sense though, they wouldn't block on one service then open it up free on another. Lame.

[Suwako Moriya]

Blocked on the tube for me, too, anyway. :(
Wow, really? I rarely use YouTube so I didn't even know they had region blocks. Guess it makes sense though, they wouldn't block on one service then open it up free on another. Lame.

I've never liked the idea of region blocking. Even when I'm not the victim of it, I still don't like it.

[WTK]

I think I may check both shows (at least a first handful of episodes).

[shokoti]

Would have checked out both shows, but no UK rights is a joke. If CR can do it, so can Funi. Then again even though they hold UK rights to a lot of their shows (and I'm sure streaming rights as well) their entire video section is locked out so I'm not surprised.

[LelouchLamperouge]

Why do you guys expect it to be global? The press release reminds you more than once this is North American agreement.

It also seems to be Fuji TV, not Funimation, as I italicized below.

FUNimation Entertainment is partnering with the leading and largest Japanese broadcast television network, Fuji Television Network, Inc., to simulcast anime series featured in its late-night noitaminA programming block airing in Japan on Thursday nights. The partnership gives the American anime leader rights to the online streaming and simulcast of the series in noitaminA in the U.S.

“We are excited to bring this programming to the North American audience,” said Koji Yamamoto, producer of the noitaminA block at Fuji Television, “and to bring it with FUNimation Entertainment, with which we enjoy a long and cooperative relationship.”

“This is a fantastic opportunity to work again with the formidable Fuji TV,” said Gen Fukunaga, president and CEO at FUNimation Entertainment, “particularly on the debut of a new noitaminA lineup. This highly-rated block has already launched hits like ‘Eden of the East’ and ‘Tokyo Magnitude 8.0’ and we hope to extend that success for these new series in the U.S.”

“House of the Five Leaves” will premiere on Fuji TV on early Friday morning, April 16 at 1:30 a.m. Japanese Standard Time (JST) and at 12:30 p.m. CDT Thursday, April 15, just one hour after its Japanese debut, FUNimation will deliver the first episode of the series for North American streaming via www.funimation.com.

etc etc etc.

[something]

Why do you guys expect it to be global? The press release reminds you more than once this is North American agreement.
I think our non-NA friends have been hit with this disappointment more than enough to not expect it at all. That doesn't make it any less annoying to them.

[Draneor]

Why do you guys expect it to be global? The press release reminds you more than once this is North American agreement.

Because the internet and their customer base is global. That's why. I'm not blaming FUNimation, but if you're going to stream you need to stream everywhere.

Wow, really? I rarely use YouTube so I didn't even know they had region blocks.

Some Japanese companies even region block trailers. Like Media Factory. But sometimes they forget to enable blocking on NicoNico. ^^

[Suwako Moriya]

Some Japanese companies even region block trailers. Like Media Factory. But sometimes they forget to enable blocking on NicoNico. ^^

That I'd consider an example of being extreme.:sweat:

[Draneor]

That I'd consider an example of being extreme.:sweat:

Browse around. (http://www.youtube.com/user/mediafactory) I can't find any rhyme or reason to it.

[Suwako Moriya]

That I'd consider an example of being extreme.:sweat:

Browse around. (http://www.youtube.com/user/mediafactory) I can't find any rhyme or reason to it.

Heh, I've had the pleasure of clicking youtube links from them before. By pleasure, I mean lack of.

[shokoti]

Why do you guys expect it to be global?

Didn't expect it, of course. We're not stupid. But the point is, when Crunchyroll is quite capable of getting rights which include all English speaking territories, or even more than that, on the majority of their titles, so should Funimation be.

Not to mention that I can go into a store (HMV for instance) and pick up DVDs with the Funimation logo on. They hold UK rights for the vast majority of their properties. So why shouldn't I want them to stream to this country as well?

Their video portal is completely blocked for us, even though at least half the titles on it they have UK rights for. Yes they may not be able to do this for every show, it's the fact they don't do it for ANY that irritates. Especially new stuff like this where they can be forward looking when getting rights.

[Quarkboy]

Why do you guys expect it to be global?

Didn't expect it, of course. We're not stupid. But the point is, when Crunchyroll is quite capable of getting rights which include all English speaking territories, or even more than that, on the majority of their titles, so should Funimation be.

Not to mention that I can go into a store (HMV for instance) and pick up DVDs with the Funimation logo on. They hold UK rights for the vast majority of their properties. So why shouldn't I want them to stream to this country as well?

Their video portal is completely blocked for us, even though at least half the titles on it they have UK rights for. Yes they may not be able to do this for every show, it's the fact they don't do it for ANY that irritates. Especially new stuff like this where they can be forward looking when getting rights.
There are other players in play when it comes to European rights.

It's not as simple as Funi asking for them, and if they did it would likely be considered stepping on toes in what was surely a highly sensitive negotiation anyway.

[LOUiE]

I think I may check these out. I live funi's video portal. I never get ads on it. I may watch on hulu as well when at lunch at work.

[shokoti]

There are other players in play when it comes to European rights.

It's not as simple as Funi asking for them, and if they did it would likely be considered stepping on toes in what was surely a highly sensitive negotiation anyway.
I know that, but that doesn't mean they can't get/don't have streaming rights here (in the UK) for any of their shows.